Culturing patch, culturing method, culture test method, culture test device, drug test method, and drug test device

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to a culturing patch, culturing method, culture test method, culture test device, drug test method, and drug test device, and the culturing patch according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes component required for growth of an object to be cultured, and a mesh structural body provided in a mesh structure forming micro-cavities in which the component required for growth are contained that is configured to come into contact with a reaction region in which the object to be cultured is placed and provide some of the contained component required for growth to the reaction region.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a culturing patch, culturing method,culture test method, culture test device, drug test method, and drugtest device, and more particularly, to a culturing patch that containsnutrients required for culturing cells or bacteria, and a culturingmethod, culture test method, culture test device, drug test method, anddrug test device using the culturing patch.

BACKGROUND ART

Due to a rapidly aging society and increasing need for quality of life,the diagnostics market which aims at early diagnosis and early treatmentis growing every year in the world, including South Korea, and quick andeasy diagnosis is becoming an important issue. In particular, forms ofdiagnosis are being transitioned into forms in which diagnosis can beperformed without using large diagnostic equipment, such as in-vitrodiagnosis (IVD) or point-of-care testing (POCT) which is immediatelyperformed next to a patient. Blood testing, which is one specificdiagnostic field for performing IVD, is one diagnostic method thataccounts for a large portion in the IVD field and is widely used.

Clinical microbiology is one specific field of laboratory medicine, andis a study in which, with a bodily fluid of a patient suspected ofinfection with microorganisms as a sample, whether the bodily fluid isactually inflected with microorganisms is determined, and when thebodily fluid has been infected, the microorganisms are identified, andfurther, an antibiotic to which the identified microorganisms aresensitive is determined. In performing clinical microbial testing, inmost cases, bacterial culture for proliferating and separating bacteriapresent in a sample is used instead of directly using a sample collectedfrom a patient.

Bacterial culture is performed to diagnose infection by determiningwhether bacteria present in a clinical sample are pathogens or normalflora. Also, a sufficient amount of pure cultured bacteria derived froma single bacterium is obtained, and features of a colony, biochemicalcharacteristics, dyeability, and serological reactions are used toidentify the bacterial species and perform an antibiotic susceptibilitytest.

However, in conventional cell culture, bacteria are applied on a petridish that holds plate count agar (PCA) media or agar media and thengrowth degrees in accordance with sizes of colonies are determined inmost cases. However, such a conventional culturing technique has aproblem in that it takes time from a few days to several weeks until acolony can be observed with visual inspection.

In recent years, as research and development on stem cells have beenvigorously carried out, the demand on in-vitro culturing of cells hasalso been increased. Since the cell culture is performed in a similarfashion to the above-described bacterial culture, the cell culture hasthe same problem.

SUMMARY

An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a patch capable ofstoring a substance.

An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a patch capable ofproviding a reaction space for a substance.

An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a patch capable ofproviding a substance.

An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a patch capable ofabsorbing a substance.

An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a patch capable ofproviding an environment.

An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a culturing patch thatcontains a required nutrient component required for the growth ofobjects to be cultured such as microorganisms including bacteria orcells.

An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a culturing methodusing a culturing patch.

An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a culture test inwhich a culturing patch is used to test a degree of growth of objects tobe cultured and a culture test device for performing the same.

An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a drug test method inwhich a patch is used to test a degree of growth inhibition or death ofobjects to be cultured due to a drug and a drug test device forperforming the same.

Aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to those mentionedabove, and unmentioned aspects will be clearly understood by those ofordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains fromthe present specification and the accompanying drawings.

[According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided aculturing patch including component required for growth of an object tobe cultured, and a mesh structural body provided in a mesh structureforming micro-cavities in which the component required for growth arecontained that is configured to come into contact with a reaction regionin which the object to be cultured is placed and deliver some of thecontained component required for growth to the reaction region.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provideda culturing method for culturing an object to be cultured by using apatch, which includes a mesh structural body forming micro-cavities andcontains a liquid substance in the micro-cavities, the culturing methodincluding placing an object to be cultured in a reaction region; anddelivering component required for growth of the object to be cultured tothe reaction region by using a patch that contains the componentrequired for growth s.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, there isprovided a culture test method for culturing an object to be culturedand testing a degree of growth of the object to be cultured by using apatch, which includes a mesh structural body forming micro-cavities andcontains a liquid substance in the micro-cavities, the culture testmethod including placing an object to be cultured in a reaction region,delivering component required for growth of the object to be cultured tothe reaction region by using a patch that contains the componentrequired for growth s, and acquiring an image of the object to becultured by acquiring an image of the reaction region.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there isprovided a drug patch including a drug that affects growth or activityof an object to be drug-tested, and a mesh structural body provided in amesh structure forming micro-cavities in which the drug is containedthat is configured to come into contact with a reaction region in whichthe object to be drug-tested is placed and deliver some of the containeddrug to the reaction region.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there isprovided a drug test method for testing efficacy of a drug by using apatch, which includes a mesh structural body forming micro-cavities andcontains a liquid substance in the micro-cavities, the drug test methodincluding placing a sample in a reaction region, delivering the drug tothe reaction region by using a patch that contains the drug, andacquiring an image of the sample by acquiring an image of the reactionregion. The drug test method may include acquiring, on the basis of theimage, at least one piece of information of size information and countinformation of the sample, and determining, on the basis of the at leastone piece of information, at least one of a degree of growth, a degreeof activity, a degree of growth inhibition, and a degree of death of thesample due to the drug.

Solutions of the present disclosure are not limited to those mentionedabove, and unmentioned solutions should be clearly understood by thoseof ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertainsfrom the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

According to the present disclosure, containing, providing, andabsorption of a substance can be easily performed.

According to the present disclosure, a reaction region for a substancecan be provided or a predetermined environment can be provided to atarget region.

According to the present disclosure, culturing of an object to becultured, a culture test, and a drug test can be more convenientlyperformed, and a test result can be promptly obtained.

According to the present disclosure, a diagnosis result with sufficientvalidity can be obtained from a small degree of growth or a small degreeof growth inhibition.

According to the present disclosure, providing and absorption of asubstance can be properly adjusted using a patch, and an amount of anutrient-requiring component required for diagnosis can be significantlyreduced.

Advantageous effects of the present disclosure are not limited to thosementioned above, and unmentioned advantageous effects should be clearlyunderstood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the presentdisclosure pertains from the present specification and the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a patch in detail according to thepresent application.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a patch in detail according to thepresent application.

FIG. 3 illustrates providing of a reaction space as an example of afunction of a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 4 illustrates providing of a reaction space as an example of afunction of a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 5 illustrates providing of a substance as an example of a functionof a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 6 illustrates providing of a substance as an example of a functionof a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 7 illustrates providing of a substance as an example of a functionof a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 8 illustrates providing of a substance as an example of a functionof a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 9 illustrates providing of a substance as an example of a functionof a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 10 illustrates providing of a substance as an example of a functionof a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 11 illustrates providing of a substance as an example of a functionof a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 12 illustrates providing of a substance as an example of a functionof a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 13 illustrates providing of a substance as an example of a functionof a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 14 illustrates absorbing of a substance as an example of a functionof a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 15 illustrates absorbing of a substance as an example of a functionof a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 16 illustrates absorbing of a substance as an example of a functionof a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 17 illustrates absorbing of a substance as an example of a functionof a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 18 illustrates absorbing of a substance as an example of a functionof a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 19 illustrates absorbing of a substance as an example of a functionof a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 20 illustrates absorbing of a substance as an example of a functionof a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 21 illustrates absorbing of a substance as an example of a functionof a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 22 illustrates absorbing of a substance as an example of a functionof a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 23 illustrates providing of an environment as an example of afunction of a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 24 illustrates providing of an environment as an example of afunction of a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 25 illustrates providing of an environment as an example of afunction of a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 26 illustrates performance of absorbing and providing of asubstance as an embodiment of a patch according to the presentapplication.

FIG. 27 illustrates performance of absorbing and providing of asubstance as an embodiment of a patch according to the presentapplication.

FIG. 28 illustrates performance of absorbing and providing of asubstance as an embodiment of a patch according to the presentapplication.

FIG. 29 illustrates performance of absorbing and providing of asubstance as an embodiment of a patch according to the presentapplication.

FIG. 30 illustrates performance of absorbing and providing of asubstance as an embodiment of a patch according to the presentapplication.

FIG. 31 illustrates performance of absorbing and providing of asubstance and providing of an environment as an embodiment of a patchaccording to the present application.

FIG. 32 illustrates performance of absorbing and providing of asubstance and providing of an environment as an embodiment of a patchaccording to the present application.

FIG. 33 illustrates an implementation of a plurality of patches as anembodiment of a patch according to the present application.

FIG. 34 illustrates an implementation of a plurality of patches and aplate having a plurality of target regions as an embodiment of a patchaccording to the present application.

FIG. 35 is a flowchart related to an embodiment of a culturing methodaccording to the present application.

FIG. 36 is a view illustrating application of an object to be culturedaccording to the present application.

FIG. 37 is a flowchart of delivering a required nutrient component byusing a culturing patch in an embodiment of a culturing method accordingto the present application.

FIG. 38 is an operational view of the culturing method according to FIG.36.

FIGS. 39 to 41 are views related to acquisition of an image of an objectto be cultured according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 42 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a culture test method of thepresent application.

FIG. 43 is an operational view of the embodiment of the culture testmethod of the present application.

FIG. 44 is a flowchart of a modified example of the embodiment of theculture test method of the present application.

FIG. 45 is a flowchart of another modified example of the embodiment ofthe culture test method of the present application.

FIG. 46 is an example of an image of an object to be cultured accordingto the present application.

FIG. 47 is a flowchart of another embodiment of a culture test method ofthe present application.

FIG. 48 is a flowchart of acquiring an image in the other embodiment ofthe culture test method according to the present application.

FIG. 49 is an operational view of the other embodiment of the culturetest method of the present application.

FIG. 50 is a modified example of the other embodiment of the culturetest method of the present application.

FIG. 51 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a drug test method of thepresent application.

FIG. 52 is an operational view of the embodiment of the drug test methodof the present application.

FIG. 53 is a flowchart of another embodiment of a drug test method ofthe present application.

FIG. 54 is an operational view of the other embodiment of the drug testmethod of the present application.

FIG. 55 is a flowchart of yet another embodiment of a drug test methodof the present application.

FIG. 56 is an operational view of the yet another embodiment of the drugtest method of the present application.

FIG. 57 is an example of an image of an object to be cultured accordingto the present application.

FIG. 58 illustrates an embodiment of a test device according to thepresent application.

FIG. 59 illustrates an example of a patch controller in the embodimentof the test device according to the present application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Since embodiments described herein are for clearly describing the spiritof the present disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art to whichthe present disclosure pertains, the present disclosure is not limitedto the embodiments described herein, and the scope of the presentdisclosure should be construed as including revised examples or modifiedexamples not departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

General terms currently being used as widely as possible have beenselected as terms used herein in consideration of functions in thepresent disclosure, but the terms may be changed according to intentionsand practices of those of ordinary skill in the art to which the presentdisclosure pertains or the advent of new technologies, etc. However,instead, when a particular term is defined as a certain meaning andused, the meaning of the term will be separately described.Consequently, the terms used herein should be construed on the basis ofsubstantial meanings of the terms and content throughout the presentspecification instead of simply on the basis of names of the terms.

The accompanying drawings herein are for easily describing the presentdisclosure. Since shapes illustrated in the drawings may have beenexaggeratedly depicted as much as necessary to assist in understatingthe present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited by thedrawings.

When detailed description of a known configuration or function relatedto the present disclosure is deemed to obscure the gist of the presentdisclosure in the present specification, the detailed descriptionrelated thereto will be omitted as necessary.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided aculturing patch including component required for growth of an object tobe cultured, and a mesh(net-like) structural body provided in a meshstructure forming micro-cavities in which the component required forgrowth are contained that is configured to come into contact with areaction region in which the object to be cultured is placed and providesome of the contained component required for growth to the reactionregion.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provideda culturing method for culturing an object to be cultured by using apatch, which includes a mesh structural body forming micro-cavities andcontains a liquid substance in the micro-cavities, the culturing methodincluding placing an object to be cultured in a reaction region; andproviding component required for growth which is required for growth ofthe object to be cultured to the reaction region by using a patch thatcontains the component required for growth s.

The object to be cultured may include at least one of bacteria,parasites, cells separated from a tissue, and primary cultured cells.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, there isprovided a culture test method for culturing an object to be culturedand testing a degree of growth of the object to be cultured by using apatch, which includes a mesh structural body forming micro-cavities andcontains a liquid substance in the micro-cavities, the culture testmethod including placing an object to be cultured in a reaction region,providing component required for growth of the object to be cultured tothe reaction region by using a patch that contains the componentrequired for growth s, and acquiring an image of the object to becultured by acquiring an image of the reaction region.

The culture test method may further include acquiring, on the basis ofthe image, at least one piece of information of size information andcount information of the object to be cultured, and determining, on thebasis of the at least one piece of information, a degree of growth ofthe object to be cultured.

The acquiring of the image may include spacing the patch apart from thereaction region, and acquiring the image of the reaction region whilethe patch is spaced apart therefrom.

The acquiring of the image of the reaction region while the patch isspaced apart therefrom may include irradiating light from a surfaceopposite a surface of a plate on which the reaction region is located,and acquiring the image of the reaction region by the light beingincident on the surface of the plate on which the reaction region islocated.

The acquiring of the image may include acquiring an image of thereaction region while the patch is in contact with the reaction region.

The acquiring of the image of the reaction region while the patch is incontact with the reaction region may include irradiating light from asurface of a plate on which the reaction region is located, andacquiring the image of the reaction region by the light being incidenton a surface opposite the surface of the plate on which the reactionregion is located.

The acquiring of the image of the object to be cultured by acquiring theimage of the reaction region may be performed periodically, and theculture test method may further include determining a degree of growthof the object to be cultured by comparing a plurality of images acquiredin the acquiring of the image which is periodically performed.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there isprovided a drug patch including a drug that affects growth or activityof an object to be drug-tested, and a mesh structural body provided in amesh structure forming micro-cavities in which the drug is containedthat is configured to come into contact with a reaction region in whichthe object to be drug-tested is placed and provide some of the containeddrug to the reaction region.

The drug patch may further include a component required for growth ofthe object to be drug-tested, and the component required for growth maybe contained in the mesh structure forming the micro-cavities.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there isprovided a drug test method for testing efficacy of a drug by using apatch, which includes a mesh structural body forming micro-cavities andcontains a liquid substance in the micro-cavities, the drug test methodincluding placing a sample in a reaction region, providing the drug tothe reaction region by using a patch that contains the drug, andacquiring an image of the sample by acquiring an image of the reactionregion. The drug test method may include acquiring, on the basis of theimage, at least one information of a size information and a countinformation of the sample, and determining, on the basis of the at leastone information, at least one of a degree of growth, a degree ofactivity, a degree of growth inhibition, and a degree of death of thesample due to the drug.

The acquiring of the image may include spacing the patch apart from thereaction region, and acquiring the image of the reaction region whilethe patch is spaced apart therefrom.

The acquiring of the image of the reaction region while the patch isspaced apart therefrom may include irradiating light from a surfaceopposite a surface of a plate on which the reaction region is located,and acquiring the image of the reaction region by the light beingincident on the surface of the plate on which the reaction region islocated.

The acquiring of the image may include acquiring an image of thereaction region while the patch is in contact with the reaction region.

The acquiring of the image of the reaction region while the patch is incontact with the reaction region may include irradiating light from asurface of a plate on which the reaction region is located, andacquiring the image of the reaction region by the light being incidenton a surface opposite the surface of the plate on which the reactionregion is located.

The acquiring of the image of the sample by acquiring the image of thereaction region may be performed periodically, and the drug test methodmay further include determining an effect of the drug comparing aplurality of images acquired in the acquiring of the image which isperiodically performed.

The drug test method may further include contacting a drug sheet whichholds the drug with the patch, and absorbing the drug from the drugsheet by the patch so that the drug is contained in the patch.

1. Patch

1.1 Meaning of Patch

In the present application, a patch for managing a liquid substance isdisclosed.

The liquid substance may mean a substance which is in a liquid state andcan flow.

The liquid substance may be a substance formed of a single componenthaving fluidity. Alternatively, the liquid substance may be a mixturethat includes a substance formed of a plurality of components.

When the liquid substance is a substance formed of a single component,the liquid substance may be a substance formed of a single chemicalelement or a compound including a plurality of chemical elements.

When the liquid substance is a mixture, a portion of the substanceformed of a plurality of components may serve as a solvent, and theother portion may serve as a solute. That is, the mixture may be asolution.

A plurality of components constituting the mixture which forms thesubstance may be uniformly distributed. Alternatively, the mixtureincluding the substance formed of a plurality of components may be auniformly mixed mixture.

The substance formed of a plurality of components may include a solventand a substance that is not dissolved in the solvent and is uniformlydistributed.

A portion of the substance formed of a plurality of components may benon-uniformly distributed. The non-uniformly distributed substance mayinclude non-uniformly distributed particle components in the solvent. Inthis case, the non-uniformly distributed particle components may be in asolid phase.

For example, a substance that may be managed using the patch may be in astate of 1) a liquid formed of a single component, 2) a solution, or 3)a colloid, or according to circumstances, may be in a state in which 4)solid particles are non-uniformly distributed within another liquidsubstance.

Hereinafter, the patch according to the present application will bedescribed in more detail.

1.2 General Nature of Patch

1.2.1 Configuration

FIGS. 1 and 2 are views illustrating an example of a patch according tothe present application. The patch according to the present applicationwill be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring to FIG. 1, a patch PA according to the present application mayinclude a mesh structural body NS and a liquid substance.

As the liquid substance, a base substance BS and an additive substanceAS may be taken into consideration separately.

The patch PA may be in a gel state (gel type). The patch PA may beimplemented as a gel-type structural body in which colloidal moleculesare bound and mesh tissues are formed.

The patch PA according to the present application is a structure formanaging a liquid substance SB, and may include a three-dimensionalmesh(net-like) structural body NS. The mesh structural body NS may be acontinuously distributed solid structure. The mesh structural body NSmay have a mesh structure in which a plurality of micro-threads areintertwined. However, the mesh structural body NS is not limited to themesh form in which the plurality of micro-threads are intertwined, andmay also be implemented in the form of an arbitrary three-dimensionalmatrix that is formed by connection of a plurality of micro-structures.For example, the mesh structural body NS may be a frame structural bodythat includes a plurality of micro-cavities. In other words, the meshstructural body NS may form a plurality of micro-cavities MC.

FIG. 2 illustrates a structure of a patch according to an embodiment ofthe present application. Referring to FIG. 2, the mesh structural bodyof the patch PA may have a sponge structure SS. The mesh structural bodyof the sponge structure SS may include a plurality of micro-holes MH.Hereinafter, the terms micro-holes MH and the micro-cavities MC may beused interchangeably, and unless particularly mentioned otherwise, theterm micro-cavities MC is defined as encompassing the concept of themicro-holes MH.

The mesh structural body NS may have a regular or irregular pattern.Furthermore, the mesh structural body NS may include both a regionhaving a regular pattern and a region having an irregular pattern.

A density of the mesh structural body NS may have a value within apredetermined range. Preferably, the predetermined range may be setwithin a limit in which the form of the liquid substance SB captured inthe patch PA is maintained in a form that corresponds to the patch PA.The density may be defined as a degree to which the mesh structural bodyNS is dense or a mass ratio, a volume ratio, or the like that the meshstructural body NS occupies in the patch.

The patch according to the present application may manage the liquidsubstance SB by having a three-dimensional mesh structure.

The patch PA according to the present application may include the liquidsubstance SB, and the fluidity of the liquid substance SB included inthe patch PA may be limited by the form of the mesh structural body NSof the patch PA.

The liquid substance SB may freely flow within the mesh structural bodyNS. In other words, the liquid substance SB is placed in the pluralityof micro-cavities formed by the mesh structural body NS. An exchange ofliquid substance SB may occur between neighboring micro-cavities. Inthis case, the liquid substance SB may be present in a state in whichthe liquid substance SB permeating into a frame structural body thatforms the mesh tissues. In such a case, nano-sized pores into which theliquid substances SB may permeate may be formed in the frame structuralbody.

Further, whether to the liquid substance SB is filled in the framestructural body of the mesh structure may be determined depending on amolecular weight or a particle size of the liquid substance SB to becaptured in the patch PA. A substance having a relatively largemolecular weight may be captured in the micro-cavities, and a substancehaving a relatively small molecular weight may be captured by the framestructural body and filled in the micro-cavities and/or the framestructural body of the mesh structural body NS.

In the present specification, the term “capture” may be defined as astate in which the liquid substance SB is placed in the plurality ofmicro-cavities and/or nano-sized holes formed by the mesh structuralbody NS. As described above, the state in which the liquid substance SBis captured in the patch PA is defined as including a state in which theliquid substance SB may flow between the micro-cavities and/or thenano-sized holes.

As in the following, the base substance BS and the additive substance ASmay be taken into consideration separately as the liquid substance SB.

The base substance BS may be a liquid substance SB having fluidity.

The additive substance AS may be a substance that is mixed with the basesubstance BS and has fluidity. In other words, the base substance BS maybe a solvent. The additive substance AS may be a solute that isdissolved in the solvent or may be particles that are not melted in thesolvent.

The base substance BS may be a substance capable of flowing inside amatrix formed by the mesh structural body NS. The base substance BS maybe uniformly distributed in the mesh structural body NS or may bedistributed only in a partial region of the mesh structural body NS. Thebase substance BS may be a liquid having a single component.

The additive substance AS may be a substance that is mixed with the basesubstance BS or dissolved in the base substance BS. For example, theadditive substance AS may serve as a solute while the base substance BSis a solvent. The additive substance AS may be uniformly distributed inthe base substance BS.

The additive substance AS may be fine particles that are not dissolvedin the base substance BS. For example, the additive substance AS mayinclude colloidal molecules and fine particles such as microorganisms.

The additive substance AS may include particles larger than themicro-cavities formed by the mesh structural body NS. When the size ofthe micro-cavities is smaller than the size of the particles included inthe additive substance AS, fluidity of the additive substance AS may belimited.

According to an embodiment, the additive substance AS may include acomponent that is selectively included in the patch PA.

The additive substance AS does not necessarily refer to a substance thatis lower in quantity or inferior in function in comparison to theabove-described base substance BS.

Hereinafter, characteristics of the liquid substance SB captured in thepatch PA may be presumed as characteristics of the patch PA. That is,the characteristics of the patch PA may depend on characteristics of asubstance captured in the patch PA.

1.2.2 Characteristics

As described above, the patch PA according to the present applicationmay include the mesh structural body NS. The patch PA may manage theliquid substance SB through the mesh structural body NS. The patch PAmay allow the liquid substance SB captured in the patch PA to maintainat least some of its unique characteristics.

For example, diffusion of a substance may occur in a region of the patchPA in which the liquid substance SB is distributed, and a force such assurface tension may come into action.

The patch PA may provide a liquid environment in which diffusion of atarget substance is caused due to thermal motion of a substance or adifference in density or concentration thereof. Generally, “diffusion”refers to a phenomenon in which particles that constitute a substanceare spread from a side at which concentration is high to a side at whicha concentration is low due to a difference in concentration. Such adiffusion phenomenon may be basically understood as a phenomenon thatoccurs due to motion of molecules (translational motion in a gas orliquid, vibrational motion in a solid, and the like). In the presentapplication, in addition to referring to the phenomenon in whichparticles are spread from a side at which a concentration is high towarda side at which a concentration is low due to a difference inconcentration or density, “diffusion” also refers to a phenomenon inwhich particles move due to irregular motion of molecules that occurseven when a concentration is uniform. The expression “irregular motion”may also have the same meaning as “diffusion” unless particularlymentioned otherwise. The diffused substance may be a solute that isdissolved in the liquid substance SB, and the diffused substance may beprovided in a solid, liquid, or gas state.

More specifically, a non-uniformly-distributed substance in the liquidsubstance SB captured by the patch PA may be diffused in a spaceprovided by the patch PA. In other words, the additive substance AS maybe diffused in a space defined by the patch PA.

The non-uniformly-distributed substance or the additive substance AS inthe liquid substance SB managed by the patch PA may be diffused withinthe micro-cavities provided by the mesh structural body NS of the patchPA. A region in which the non-uniformly-distributed substance or theadditive substance AS may be diffused may be changed by the patch PAbeing connected or coming into contact with another substance.

Even when, after the concentration of the substance or the additivesubstance AS has become uniform, as a result of diffusion of thenon-uniformly-distributed substance or the additive substance AS withinthe patch PA or within an external region connected to the patch PA, thesubstance or the additive substance AS may continuously move due toirregular motion of molecules inside the patch PA and/or within theexternal region connected to the patch PA.

The patch PA may be implemented to exhibit a hydrophilic or hydrophobicproperty. In other words, the mesh structural body NS of the patch PAmay have a hydrophilic or hydrophobic property.

When properties of the mesh structural body NS and the liquid substanceSB are similar, the mesh structural body NS may be able to manage theliquid substance SB more effectively.

The base substance BS may be a polar hydrophilic substance or a nonpolarhydrophobic substance. The additive substance AS may exhibit ahydrophilic or hydrophobic property.

The properties of the liquid substance SB may be related to the basesubstance BS and/or the additive substance AS. For example, when boththe base substance BS and the additive substance AS are hydrophilic, theliquid substance SB may be hydrophilic, and when both the base substanceBS and the additive substance AS are hydrophobic, the liquid substanceSB may be hydrophobic. When polarities of the base substance BS and theadditive substance AS are different, the liquid substance SB may behydrophilic or hydrophobic.

When polarities of both the mesh structural body NS and the liquidsubstance SB are hydrophilic or hydrophobic, an attractive force maycome into action between the mesh structural body NS and the liquidsubstance SB. When polarities of the mesh structural body NS and theliquid substance SB are opposite, e.g., when the polarity of the meshstructural body NS is hydrophobic and the polarity of the liquidsubstance SB is hydrophilic, a repulsive force may act between the meshstructural body NS and the liquid substance SB.

On the basis of the above-described properties, the patch PA may besolely used, a plurality of patches PA may be used, or the patch PA maybe used with another medium to induce a desired reaction. Hereinafter,functional aspects of the patch PA will be described.

However, hereinafter, for convenience of description, the patch PA isassumed as being a gel type that may include a hydrophilic solution. Inother words, unless particularly mentioned otherwise, the meshstructural body NS of the patch PA is assumed to have a hydrophilicproperty.

However, the scope of the present application should not be interpretedas being limited to the gel-type patch PA having a hydrophilic property.In addition to a gel-type patch PA that includes a solution exhibiting ahydrophobic property, a gel-type patch PA from which a solvent isremoved and even a sol-type patch PA, as long as it is capable ofimplementing functions according to the present application, may belongto the scope of the present application.

2. Functions of Patch

Due to the above-described characteristics, the patch according to thepresent application may have some useful functions. In other words, bycapturing the liquid substance SB, the patch may become involved inbehavior of the liquid substance SB.

Accordingly, hereinafter, in accordance with forms of behavior of thesubstance with respect to the patch PA, a reservoir function in which astate of the substance is defined in a predetermined region formed bythe patch PA and a channeling function in which a state of the substanceis defined in a region including an external region of the patch PA willbe separately described.

2.1 Reservoir

2.1.1 Meaning

As described above, the patch PA according to the present applicationmay capture the liquid substance SB. In other words, the patch PA mayperform a function as a reservoir.

The patch PA may capture the liquid substance SB in the plurality ofmicro-cavities formed in the mesh structural body NS using the meshstructural body NS. The liquid substance SB may occupy at least aportion of the fine micro-cavities formed by the three-dimensional meshstructural body NS of the patch PA or be penetrated in the nano-sizedpores formed in the mesh structural body NS.

The liquid substance SB placed in the patch PA does not lose propertiesof a liquid even when the liquid substance SB is distributed in theplurality of micro-cavities. That is, the liquid substance SB hasfluidity even in the patch PA, and diffusion of a substance may occur inthe liquid substance SB distributed in the patch PA, and an appropriatesolute may be dissolved in the substance.

The reservoir function of the patch PA will be described below in moredetail.

2.1.2 Containing

In the present application, the patch PA may capture a target substancedue to the above-described characteristics. The patch PA may haveresistance to a change in an external environment within a predeterminedrange. In this way, the patch PA may maintain a state in which thesubstance is captured therein. The liquid substance SB, which is atarget to be captured, may occupy the three-dimensional mesh structuralbody NS.

Hereinafter, for convenience, the above-described function of the patchPA will be referred to as “containing.”

However, “the patch PA containing the liquid substance” is defined toencompass a case in which the liquid substance is contained in a spaceformed by the mesh structure and/or a case in which the liquid substanceis contained in the frame structural body constituting the meshstructural body NS.

The patch PA may contain the liquid substance SB. For example, the patchPA may contain the liquid substance SB, due to an attractive force thatacts between the mesh structural body NS of the patch PA and the liquidsubstance SB. The liquid substance SB may be bound to the meshstructural body NS with an attractive force of a predetermined strengthor higher and contained in the patch PA.

Properties of the liquid substance SB contained in the patch PA may beclassified in accordance with properties of the patch PA. Morespecifically, when the patch PA exhibits a hydrophilic property, thepatch PA may be bound to a hydrophilic liquid substance SB which ispolar in general and contain the hydrophilic liquid substance SB in thethree-dimensional micro-cavities. Alternatively, when the patch PAexhibits a hydrophobic property, the hydrophobic liquid substance SB maybe contained in the micro-cavities of the three-dimensional meshstructural body NS.

The amount of substance that may be contained in the patch PA may beproportional to a volume of the patch PA. In other words, the amount ofsubstance contained in the patch PA may be proportional to an amount ofthree-dimensional mesh structural body NS that serves as a support bodythat contributes to the form of the patch PA. However, there is noconstant proportional factor between the amount of substance that may becontained in the patch PA and the volume of the patch PA, and thus therelationship between the amount of substance that may be contained inthe patch PA and the volume of the patch PA may be changed in accordancewith the design or manufacturing method of the mesh structure.

The amount of substance contained in the patch PA may be reduced due toevaporation, loss, etc. with time. The substance may be additionallyinjected into the patch PA to increase or maintain the content of thesubstance contained in the patch PA. For example, a moisture keepingagent for suppressing evaporation of moisture may be added to the patchPA.

The patch PA may be implemented in a form in which it is easy to storethe liquid substance SB. This signifies that, when the substance isaffected by environmental factors such as humidity level, amount oflight, and temperature, the patch PA may be implemented to minimizedenaturalization of the substance. For example, to prevent the patch PAfrom being denaturalized due to external factors such as bacteria, thepatch PA may be treated with a bacteria inhibitor.

A liquid substance SB having a plurality of components may be containedin the patch PA. In this case, the substance formed of a plurality ofcomponents may be placed together in the patch PA before a referencetime point, or a primarily-injected substance may be first contained inthe patch PA and then a secondary substance may be contained in thepatch PA after a predetermined amount of time. For example, when aliquid substance SB formed of two components is contained in the patchPA, the two components may be contained in the patch PA uponmanufacturing the patch PA, only one component may be contained in thepatch PA upon manufacturing the patch PA and the other component may becontained therein later, or the two components may be sequentiallycontained in the patch PA after the patch PA is manufactured.

As described above, the substance contained in the patch may exhibitfluidity, and the substance may move irregularly or be diffused due tomolecular motion in the patch PA.

2.1.3 Providing of reaction space

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views illustrating providing a reaction space as anexample of a function of the patch according to the present application.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the patch PA according to the presentapplication may perform a function of providing a space. In other words,the patch PA may provide a space in which the liquid substance SB maymove through a space formed by the mesh structural body NS and/or aspace constituting the mesh structural body NS.

The patch PA may provide a space for activity other than diffusion ofparticles and/or irregular motion of particles (hereinafter referred toas activity other than diffusion). The activity other than diffusion mayrefer to a chemical reaction, but is not limited thereto, and may alsorefer to a physical state change. More specifically, the activity otherthan diffusion may include a chemical reaction in which a chemicalcomposition of the substance changes after the activity, a specificbinding reaction between components included in the substance,homogenization of solutes or particles included in the substance andnon-uniformly distributed therein, condensation of some componentsincluded in the substance, or a biological activity of a portion of thesubstance.

When a plurality of substances become involved in the activity, theplurality of substances may be placed together in the patch PA before areference time point. The plurality of substances may be sequentiallyinserted into the patch PA.

By changing environmental conditions of the patch PA, efficiency of thefunction of providing a space for activities other than diffusion in thepatch PA may be enhanced. For example, the activity may be promoted or astart of the activity may be induced by changing a temperature conditionof the patch PA or adding an electrical condition thereto.

According to FIGS. 3 and 4, a first substance SB1 and a second substanceSB2 placed in the patch PA may react inside the patch PA and be deformedinto a third substance SB3 or generate the third substance SB3.

2.2 Channel

2.2.1 Meaning

Movement of a substance may occur between the patch PA and an externalregion. The substance may be moved from the patch PA to the externalregion of the patch PA or may be moved from the external region to thepatch PA.

The patch PA may form a substance movement path or get involved inmovement of the substance. More specifically, the patch PA may becomeinvolved in movement of the liquid substance SB captured in the patch PAor become involved in movement of an external substance through theliquid substance SB captured in the patch PA. The base substance BS orthe additive substance AS may move out from the patch PA, or an externalsubstance may be introduced from an external region to the patch PA.

The patch PA may provide a substance movement path. That is, the patchPA may become involved in movement of the substance and provide asubstance movement channel. The patch PA may provide a substancemovement channel based on unique properties of the liquid substance SB.

In accordance with whether the patch PA is connected to the externalregion, the patch PA may be in a state in which the liquid substance SBis movable between the patch PA and the external region or a state inwhich the liquid substance SB is immovable between the patch PA and theexternal region. When channeling between the patch PA and the externalregion begins, the patch PA may have unique functions.

Hereinafter, the state in which the substance is movable and the statein which the substance is immovable will be described first, and theunique functions of the patch PA will be described in detail inconnection with whether the patch PA and the external region areconnected.

Basically, irregular motion and/or diffusion of the substance arefundamental causes of movement of the liquid substance SB between thepatch PA and the external region. However, controlling an externalenvironmental factor (e.g., controlling a temperature condition,controlling an electrical condition, or the like) in order to controlmovement of a substance between the patch PA and the external region hasalready been described.

2.2.2 Movable State

In the state in which the substance is movable, a flow may occur betweenthe liquid substance SB captured in the patch PA and/or the substanceplaced in the external region. In the state in which the substance ismovable, substance movement may occur between the liquid substance SBcaptured in the patch PA and the external region.

For example, in the state in which the substance is movable, the liquidsubstance SB or some components of the liquid substance SB may bediffused to the external region or moved due to irregular motion.Alternatively, in the state in which the substance is movable, anexternal substance placed in the external region or some components ofthe external substance may be diffused to the liquid substance SB in thepatch PA or moved due to irregular motion.

The state in which the substance is movable may be caused by contact.The contact may refer to connection between the liquid substance SBcaptured in the patch PA and the external region. Contact may refer toat least a partial overlap between a flow region of the liquid substanceSB and the external region. The contact may refer to the externalsubstance being connected to at least a portion of the patch PA. It maybe understood that the range in which the captured liquid substance SBmay flow is expanded in the state in which the substance is movable. Inother words, in the state in which the substance is movable, the rangein which the liquid substance SB may flow may be expanded to include atleast a portion of the external region of the captured liquid substanceSB. For example, when the liquid substance SB is in contact with theexternal region, the range in which the captured liquid substance SB mayflow may be expanded to include at least a portion of the externalregion in contact. More specifically, when the external region is anexternal plate, the region in which the liquid substance SB may flow maybe expanded to include a region of the external plate in contact withthe liquid substance SB.

2.2.3 Immovable State

In the state in which the substance is immovable, substance movement maynot occur between the liquid substance SB captured in the patch PA andthe external region. However, substance movement may respectively occurin the liquid substance SB captured in the patch PA and in externalsubstance placed in the external region.

The state in which the substance is immovable may be a state in whichthe contact is released. In other words, in the state in which contactbetween the patch PA and the external region is released, substancemovement is not possible between the liquid substance SB remaining inthe patch PA and the external region or the external substance.

More specifically, the state in which the contact is released may referto a state in which the liquid substance SB captured in the patch PA isnot connected to the external region. The state in which the contact isreleased may refer to a state in which the liquid substance SB is notconnected to an external substance placed in the external region. Forexample, the state in which movement of the substance is impossible maybe caused by separation between the patch PA and the external region.

In the present specification, although “movable state” has a meaningdifferentiated from that of “immovable state,” a transition may occurbetween the states due to an elapse of time, an environmental change,and the like. In other words, the patch PA may be in the immovable stateafter being in the movable state, in the movable state after being inthe immovable state, or may be in the movable state again, after beingin the immovable state after being in the movable state.

2.2.4 Differentiation of Functions

2.2.4.1 Delivery

In the present application, due to the above-described characteristics,the patch PA may deliver at least a portion of the liquid substance SBcaptured in the patch PA to a desired external region. The delivery ofthe substance may refer to separation of a portion of the liquidsubstance SB captured in the patch PA from the patch PA due to apredetermined condition being satisfied. The separation of the portionof the liquid substance SB may refer to the portion of the substancebeing extracted, emitted, or released from a region that is affected bythe patch PA. This is a concept subordinate to the above-describedchanneling function of the patch PA, and may be understood as definingtransfer (delivery) of the substance placed in the patch PA to theoutside of the patch PA.

The desired external region may be another patch PA, a dried region, ora liquid region.

The predetermined condition for the delivery to occur may be set as anenvironmental condition such as a temperature change, a pressure change,a change in an electrical characteristic, and a change in a physicalstate. For example, when the patch PA is in contact with an object whoseforce of binding to the liquid substance SB is larger than a force ofbinding to the mesh structural body NS of the patch PA, the liquidsubstance SB may be chemically bound with the object in contact, and asa result, at least a portion of the liquid substance SB may be providedto the object.

Hereinafter, for convenience, the above-described function of the patchPA will be referred to as “delivery.”

The delivery may occur between the patch PA and the external region, viathe state in which the liquid substance SB is movable and the state inwhich the liquid substance SB is immovable between the patch PA and theexternal region.

More specifically, when the liquid substance SB is in the movable state,the liquid substance SB may be diffused between the patch PA and theexternal region or may be moved to the external region due to irregularmotion. In other words, the base solution and/or the additive substanceAS included in the liquid substance SB may be moved from the patch PA tothe external region. In the state in which the liquid substance SB isimmovable, the liquid substance SB is unable to move between the patchPA and the external region. In other words, due to a transition from themovable state to the immovable state, a portion of the substance thathas moved from the patch PA to the external region due to diffusionand/or irregular motion of the liquid substance SB become unable to moveback to the patch PA. Thus, a portion of the liquid substance SB may beprovided to the external region.

The delivery may be performed due to a difference between an attractiveforce between the liquid substance SB and the mesh structural body NSand an attractive force between the liquid substance SB and the externalregion or the external substance. The attractive force may be caused bysimilarity between polarities or a specific binding relationship.

More specifically, when the liquid substance SB is hydrophilic and theexternal region or the external substance is more hydrophilic than themesh structural body NS, at least a portion of the liquid substance SBcaptured in the patch PA may be provided to the external region via themovable state and the immovable state.

The delivery of the liquid substance SB may also be performedselectively. For example, when a specific binding relationship existsbetween some components included in the liquid substance SB and theexternal substance, some of the ingredients may be selectively deliveredvia the state in which the substance is movable and the state in whichthe substance is immovable.

More specifically, when it is assumed that the patch PA provides asubstance to an external plate PL, which is in a form of a flat plate, asubstance that binds specifically to a portion of the liquid substanceSB captured in the patch PA (e.g., a portion of a solute) may be appliedon the external plate PL. In this case, the patch PA may selectivelydeliver a portion of the solute that binds specifically to the substanceapplied on the external plate PL from the patch PA to the plate PL viathe movable state and the immovable state.

The delivery as a function of the patch PA will be described belowaccording to a few examples of different regions to which the substanceis moved. However, in giving the detailed description, the concepts of“release” of the liquid substance SB and “delivery” of the liquidsubstance SB may be interchangeably used.

Here, a case in which the liquid substance SB is provided from the patchPA to a separate external plate PL will be described. For example, acase in which the substance is moved from the patch PA to a plate PL,such as a slide glass, may be taken into consideration.

As the patch PA and the plate PL come into contact, at least a portionof the liquid substance SB captured in the patch PA is diffused to theplate PL or moved due to irregular motion. When the contact between thepatch PA and the plate PL is released, the portion of the substance thathas been moved from the patch PA to the plate PL (that is, the portionof the liquid substance SB) become unable to move back to the patch PA.As a result, the portion of the substance may be provided from the patchPA to the plate PL. In this case, the portion of the substance beingprovided may be the additive substance AS. For a substance in the patchPA to be “provided” by the contact and separation, an attractive forceand/or binding force that acts between the substance and the plate PLshould be present, and the attractive force and/or the binding forceshould be larger than the attractive force acting between the substanceand the patch PA. Therefore, if the above-described “delivery condition”is not satisfied, delivery of a substance may not occur between thepatch PA and the plate PL.

The delivery of a substance may be controlled by providing a temperaturecondition or an electrical condition to the patch PA.

The movement of a substance from the patch PA to the plate PL may dependon an extent of a contact area between the patch PA and the plate PL.For example, the substance movement efficiency between the patch PA andthe plate PL may be increased or decreased in accordance with an extentof an area in which the patch PA and the plate PL come into contact.

When the patch PA includes a plurality of components, only some of thecomponents may be selectively moved to the external plate PL. Morespecifically, a substance that binds specifically to some of theplurality of components may be fixed to the external plate PL. In thiscase, the substance fixed to the external plate PL may be in a liquid orsolid state, or may be fixed to a different region. In this case, aportion of the substance of the plurality of components moves to theplate PL and binds specifically to the plate PL due to contact betweenthe patch PA and the different region, and when the patch PA isseparated from the plate PL, only some of the components may beselectively released to the plate PL.

FIGS. 5 to 7 illustrate delivery of a substance from the patch PA to theexternal plate PL as an example of delivery of a substance from amongthe functions of the patch PA according to the present application.According to FIGS. 5 to 7, by the patch PA coming into contact with theexternal plate PL, a portion of a substance contained in the patch PAmay be provided to the plate PL. In this case, providing of thesubstance may become possible by the patch PA coming into contact withthe plate so that the substance is movable. In this case, a water filmWF may be formed in the vicinity of a contact surface at which the plateand the patch PA come into contact, and the substance may be movablethrough the formed water film WF.

Here, a case in which the liquid substance SB is provided from the patchPA to a substance having fluidity SL will be described. The substancehaving fluidity SL may be a liquid substance that is held in othercontaining space or that is flowing.

As the patch PA and the substance having fluidity come into contact (forexample, the patch PA is put into a solution), at least a portion of theliquid substance SB captured in the patch PA may be diffused or moveddue to irregular motion to the substance having fluidity SL. When thepatch PA and the substance having fluidity SL are separated, a portionof the liquid substance SB that has been moved from the patch PA to thesubstance having fluidity become unable to move back to the patch PA sothat a portion of the substance in the patch PA may be provided to thesubstance having fluidity.

The substance movement between the patch PA and the substance havingfluidity SL may depend on an extent of a contact area between the patchPA and the substance having fluidity SL. For example, the substancemovement efficiency between the patch PA and the substance havingfluidity SL may be increased or decreased in accordance with an extentof an area at which the patch PA and the substance having fluidity SLcome into contact (for example, a depth at which the patch PA isimmersed into a solution or the like).

The substance movement between the patch PA and the substance havingfluidity SL may be controlled through physical separation between thepatch PA and the substance having fluidity.

A partial concentration of the additive substance AS in the liquidsubstance SB and a partial concentration of the additive substance AS inthe substance having fluidity may be different, and the additivesubstance AS may be provided from the patch PA to the substance havingfluidity.

However, in the patch PA providing the liquid substance SB to thesubstance having fluidity SL, the physical separation between the patchPA and the substance having fluidity SL is not essential. For example,when a force (driving force/casual force) that causes a substance tomove from the patch PA to a liquid having fluidity disappears or isdecreased to a reference value or lower, the movement of the substancemay be stopped.

In “delivery” between the patch PA and the substance having fluidity SL,the above-described “delivery condition” between the patch PA and thesubstance having fluidity SL may not be required. It may be understoodthat substances that have already moved to the substance having fluiditySL are diffused and/or moved due to irregular motion in the substancehaving fluidity SL, and the substance has been provided to the substancehaving fluidity SL when a distance between the moved substance and thepatch PA become larger a predetermined distance. Since, while in thecase of the plate PL, a movable range expanded due to the contact isextremely limited, and thus the attractive force between the patch PAand the substances that have moved to the plate PL may be significant,in the relationship between the patch PA and the substance havingfluidity, a movable range expanded due to contact between the patch PAand the plate PL is relatively much wider, and thus the attractive forcebetween the patch PA and the substances that have moved to the substancehaving fluidity SL is insignificant.

FIGS. 8 to 10 illustrate delivery of a substance from the patch PA tothe substance having fluidity as an example of delivery of a substancefrom among the functions of the patch PA according to the presentapplication. According to FIGS. 8 to 10, the patch PA may deliver aportion of a substance contained in the patch PA to an externalsubstance having fluidity. The delivery of the portion of the containedsubstance may be performed by the patch PA being inserted into or cominginto contact with the substance having fluidity so that substancemovement is possible between the liquid substance SB captured in thepatch PA and the substance having fluidity.

Here, it is assumed that a substance is moved from the patch PA toanother patch PA. In a contact region in which the patch PA and theother patch PA are in contact, at least a portion of the liquidsubstance B provided in the patch PA may be moved to the other patch PA.

In the contact region, the liquid substance SB provided in each patch PAmay be diffused and moved to the other patch PA. In this case, due tothe movement of the substance, a concentration of the liquid substanceSB provided in each patch PA may be changed. Also in the presentembodiment, as described above, the patch PA and the other patch PA maybe separated, and a portion of the liquid substance SB in the patch PAmay be provided to the other patch PA.

The substance movement between the patch PA and the other patch PA maybe performed through a change in an environmental condition including achange in a physical state.

The substance movement between the patch PA and another patch PA maydepend on an extent of a contact area between the patch PA and the otherpatch PA. For example, the substance movement efficiency between thepatch PA and the other patch PA may be increased or decreased inaccordance with an extent of an area where the patch PA comes intocontact with the other patch PA.

FIGS. 11 to 13 illustrate delivery of a substance from a patch PA1 toanother patch PA2 as an example of delivery of a substance among thefunctions of the patch PA according to the present application.According to FIGS. 11 to 13, the patch PA1 may deliver a portion of asubstance contained in the patch PA1 to the other patch PA2. Thedelivery of the portion of the substance may be performed by the patchPA1 coming into contact with the other patch PA2 and becoming a state inwhich a liquid substance SB captured in the patch PA1 and a substancecaptured in the other patch PA2 are exchangeable.

2.2.4.2 Absorption

Prior to description, it should be noted that, among the functions ofthe patch PA according to the present application, “absorption” may bemanaged similarly as the above-described “delivery” in some embodiments.For example, in a case in which a substance moves due to a concentrationdifferences between substances, the “absorption” may be similar to the“delivery” in that a concentration of the liquid substance SB,particularly, a concentration of the additive substance AS, may bechanged to control a direction in which the substance is moved. The“absorption” may also be similar to “delivery” in terms of controllingmovement and selective absorption of a substance through a release ofphysical contact with the patch PA, and this may be clearly understoodby those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present applicationpertains.

Due to the above-described characteristics, the patch PA according tothe present application may capture an external substance. The patch PAmay pull in an external substance present outside a region defined bythe patch PA toward a region affected by the patch PA. The pulledexternal substance may be captured along with the liquid substance SB ofthe patch PA. The pulling of the external substance may be caused by anattractive force between the external substance and the liquid substanceSB already captured in the patch PA. Alternatively, the pulling of theexternal substance may be caused by an attractive force between theexternal substance and a region of the mesh structural body NS notoccupied by the liquid substance SB. The pulling of the externalsubstance may be caused by a force of surface tension.

Hereinafter, for convenience, the above-described function of the patchPA will be referred to as “absorption.” Absorption may be understood asa concept subordinate to the above-described channeling function of thepatch PA, the concept defining movement of an external substance to thepatch PA.

The absorption may occur by the patch PA via a state in which thesubstance is movable and a state in which the substance is immovable.

A substance that is absorbable by the patch PA may be in a liquid orsolid state. For example, when the patch PA comes into contact with anexternal substance including a solid state substance, absorption of thesubstance may be performed due to an attractive force between the solidstate substance included in the external substance and the liquidsubstance SB placed in the patch PA. As another example, when the patchPA comes into contact with a liquid external substance, the absorptionmay be performed due to binding between the liquid external substanceand the liquid substance SB placed in the patch PA.

The external substance absorbed into the patch PA may be moved to theinside of the patch PA through the micro-cavities of the mesh structuralbody NS forming the patch PA or may be distributed on a surface of thepatch PA. Positions at which the external substance is distributed maybe set on the basis of a molecular weight or a particle size of theexternal substance.

While the absorption is performed, the form of the patch PA may bechanged. For example, the volume, color, and the like of the patch PAmay be changed. While the absorption into the patch PA is beingperformed, the absorption into the patch PA may be activated or delayedby adding external conditions such as a temperature change and aphysical state change to an absorption environment of the patch PA.

The absorption will be described below as a function of the patch PAaccording to some examples of an external region that provides asubstance to be absorbed into the patch PA when the absorption occurs.

Hereinafter, it will be assumed that the patch PA absorbs an externalsubstance from an external plate PL. An example of the external platemay include a plate PL in which the external substance may be placedwhile the external substance is not absorbed thereinto.

A substance may be applied on the external plate PL. Particularly, asubstance may be applied in a form of powder on the plate PL. Thesubstance applied on the plate PL may be a single component or a mixtureof a plurality of components.

The plate PL may have the shape of a flat plate. The shape of the platePL may be deformed for improvement in ability to contain the substanceor the like. For example, a well may be formed to improve the ability tocontain the substance, a surface of the plate PL may be deformed byengraving or embossing, or a patterned plate PL may be used to improvecontact with the patch PA.

The absorption of a substance from the plate PL by the patch PAaccording to the present application may be performed through contactbetween the plate PL and the patch PA. In this case, in a contact regionin the vicinity of a contact surface between the plate PL and the patchPA, a water film WF may be formed due to the liquid substance SBcaptured in the patch PA and/or the substance applied on the plate PL.When the water film (aquaplane, hydroplane) WF is formed in the contactregion, the substance applied on the plate PL may be captured by thewater film WF. The substance captured in the water film WF may freelyflow within the patch PA.

When the patch PA is spaced a predetermined distance or more apart andseparated from the plate PL, the water film WF may be moved along withthe patch PA, and the substance applied on the plate PL may be absorbedinto the patch PA. The substance applied on the plate PL may be absorbedinto the patch PA as the patch PA is separated a predetermined distanceor more apart from the plate PL. When the patch PA and the plate PL arespaced apart and separated, the liquid substance SB provided to thepatch PA may not be moved to the plate PL, or only an insignificantamount thereof may be absorbed into the patch PA.

A portion of or the entire substance applied on the plate PL may reactspecifically with a portion of or the entire substance captured in thepatch PA. In this respect, absorption of a substance from the plate PLby the patch PA may be selectively performed. Particularly, theabsorption may be performed selectively when the patch PA has a strongerattractive force than the plate PL with respect to a portion of thesubstance captured in the patch PA.

As an example, a portion of the substance may be fixed to the plate PL.In other words, a portion of the substance may be fixed to the plate PLwhile another portion of the substance is applied to have fluidity ornot be fixed. In this case, when the patch PA and the plate PL arebrought into contact and separated, the substance, excluding the portionof the substance fixed to the plate PL of the substance applied on theplate PL, may be selectively absorbed into the patch PA. Instead, theselective absorption may also occur due to polarities of a substanceplaced on the plate PL and a substance captured in the patch PAregardless of whether the substance is fixed.

As another example, when the liquid substance SB captured in the patchPA is bound specifically to at least a portion of a substance applied onthe plate PL, only the portion of the substance applied on the plate PLbound specifically to the liquid substance SB may be absorbed into thepatch PA when the patch PA is brought into contact with and thenseparated from the substance applied on the plate PL.

As yet another example, a portion of the substance applied on the platePL may react specifically with a substance fixed to the plate PL inadvance. In this case, only a remaining substance, excluding thesubstance that reacts specifically with the substance fixed to the platePL in advance of the substance being applied to the plate PL, may beabsorbed into the patch PA.

FIGS. 14 to 16 illustrate absorption of a substance from an externalplate PL by the patch PA as an example of absorption of a substance fromamong the functions of the patch PA according to the presentapplication. According to FIGS. 14 to 16, the patch PA may absorb aportion of a substance placed on the external plate PL from the externalplate PL. The absorption of the substance may be performed by the patchPA coming into contact with the external plate PL, the water film WFbeing formed in the vicinity of a contact region between the externalplate PL and the patch PA, and the substance being movable to the patchPA through the water film WF.

Here, it will be assumed that a substance is absorbed into the patch PAfrom the substance having fluidity SL. The substance having fluidity SLmay refer to a liquid external substance that is held in othercontaining space or that is flowing. More specifically, by having anenvironment in which the substance having fluidity SL and the liquidsubstance SB captured in the patch PA may flow to and from each other, aportion of or the entire substance having fluidity SL may be absorbedinto the patch PA. In this case, the environment in which the substancehaving fluidity SL and the liquid substance SB may flow to and from eachother may be formed by the patch PA coming into contact with at least aportion of the substance having fluidity SL.

When the patch PA comes into contact with the substance having fluiditySL, the patch PA may be in a state in which a substance is movable fromthe substance having fluidity SL. When the patch PA is separated fromthe substance having fluidity SL, at least a portion of the substancehaving fluidity SL may be absorbed into the patch PA.

The absorption of a substance into the patch PA from the substancehaving fluidity SL may depend on a concentration difference between thesubstance captured in the patch PA and the substance having fluidity SL.In other words, when the concentration of the liquid substance SBcaptured in the patch PA with respect to a predetermined additivesubstance AS is lower than the concentration of the substance havingfluidity SL with respect to the predetermined additive substance AS, thepredetermined additive substance AS may be absorbed into the patch PA.

When a substance is absorbed into the patch PA from the substance havingfluidity SL, in addition to the absorption depending on theconcentration difference while the patch PA and the substance havingfluidity SL are in contact as described above, the absorption into thepatch PA may also be controlled by adding an electrical factor orchanging a physical condition. Further, without direct contact betweenthe substance captured in the patch PA and a substance to be absorbed,the absorption of a substance may also be performed through indirectcontact therebetween via a medium.

FIGS. 17 to 19 illustrate absorption of a substance from the substancehaving fluidity SL by the patch PA as an example of absorption of asubstance from among the functions of the patch PA according to thepresent application. According to FIGS. 17 to 19, the patch PA mayabsorb a portion of the substance having fluidity SL. The absorption ofa substance may be performed by the patch PA being immersed into thesubstance having fluidity SL or coming into contact with the substancehaving fluidity SL so that the liquid substance SB captured in the patchPA and the substance having fluidity SL are movable to and from eachother.

Here, it will be assumed that the patch PA absorbs an external substancefrom another patch PA.

The absorption of an external substance from another patch PA by thepatch PA may be performed due to a difference in binding force betweenthe absorbed external substance and the substance already captured inthe patch PA and between the absorbed external substance and theexternal substance not absorbed into the patch PA. For example, when theabsorbed substance exhibits hydrophilic property, the patch PA exhibitshydrophilic property, and an attractive force between the absorbedsubstance and the patch PA is stronger than an attractive force betweenthe other patch PA and the absorbed substance (that is, when the patchPA is more hydrophilic than the other patch PA), at least a portion ofthe external substance may be absorbed into the patch PA when the patchPA and the other patch PA are separated after being brought intocontact.

FIGS. 20 to 22 illustrate absorption of a substance from another patchPA4 by a patch PA3 as an example of absorption of a substance among thefunctions of the patch PA according to the present application.According to FIGS. 20 to 22, the patch PA3 may absorb a portion of asubstance placed in the other patch PA4. The absorption of the substancemay be performed by the patch PA3 coming into contact with the otherpatch PA4 so that a liquid substance SB captured in the patch PA3 and aliquid substance SB captured in the other patch PA4 are exchangeable.

A binding force of the patch PA to the external substance absorbedthereinto may be changed in accordance with a proportion of a framestructural body of the three-dimensional mesh structural body NSconstituting the patch PA with respect to the total volume of the patchPA. For example, as the proportion of a volume occupied by the framestructural body in the entire patch PA increases, the amount ofsubstance captured in the structural body may be reduced. In this case,a binding force between the patch PA and a target substance may bereduced due to a reason such as reduction in a contact area between thetarget substance and the substance captured in the patch PA.

In relation to this, ratios of materials that constitutes the meshstructural body NS may be adjusted during manufacturing process of thepatch PA so that polarity of the patch PA is controlled. For example, inthe case of a patch PA manufactured using agarose, a concentration ofthe agarose may be controlled to adjust a degree of the absorption.

When the certain region has a weaker binding force than the patch PAwith respect to a substance provided from the patch PA, and the patch PAand another patch PA are brought into contact and then separated, theabsorbed external substance may be separated from the other patch PAalong with the patch PA.

2.2.4.3 Providing of Environment

Due to the above-described characteristics, the patch PA according tothe present application may perform a function of adjusting anenvironmental condition of a desired region. The patch PA may provide anenvironment due to the patch PA to the desired region.

The environmental condition due to the patch PA may depend on the liquidsubstance SB captured in the patch PA. The patch PA may create a desiredenvironment in a substance placed in an external region on the basis ofcharacteristics of a substance accommodated in the patch PA or for apurpose of making the environment correspond to characteristics of thesubstance accommodated in the patch PA.

The adjustment of the environment may be understood as changing anenvironmental condition of the desired region. The changing of theenvironmental condition of the desired region may be implemented in aform in which a region affected by the patch PA is expanded to includeat least a portion of the desired region or a form in which anenvironment of the patch PA is shared with the desired region.

Hereinafter, for convenience, the above-described function of the patchPA will be referred to as “providing of an environment.”

The providing of an environment by the patch PA may be performed in astate in which a substance is movable between the patch PA and anexternal region subject to provide the environment. The providing of anenvironment by the patch PA may be performed through contact. Forexample, when the patch PA comes into contact with a desired region (forexample, an external substance, a plate PL, or the like), a specificenvironment may be provided to the desired region by the patch PA.

The patch PA may adjust an environment of a target region TA byproviding an environment with an appropriate pH, osmotic pressure,humidity level, concentration, temperature, and the like. For example,the patch PA may provide fluidity (liquidity) to the target region TA ora target substance. Such providing of fluidity may occur due to movementof a portion of a substance captured in the patch PA. A moistenvironment may be provided to the target region TA through the liquidsubstance SB or the base substance BS captured in the patch PA.

The environmental factors provided by the patch PA may be constantlymaintained in accordance with a purpose. For example, the patch PA mayprovide homeostasis to the desired region. As another example, as aresult of providing an environment, the substance captured in the patchPA may be adapted to an environmental condition of the desired region

The providing of an environment by the patch PA may result fromdiffusion of the liquid substance SB included in the patch PA. That is,when the patch PA and the desired region come into contact, a substancemay be movable through a contact region that is formed due to contactbetween the patch PA and the desired region. In relation to this, anenvironmental change due to an osmotic pressure, an environmental changedue to a change in ionic concentration, providing of a moistenvironment, and a change in a pH level may be implemented in accordancewith a direction in which the substance is diffused.

FIGS. 23 to 25 illustrate providing of a predetermined environment to anexternal plate PL by the patch PA as an example of providing of anenvironment among the functions of the patch PA according to the presentapplication. According to FIGS. 23 to 25, the patch PA may provide apredetermined environment to an external plate PL on which a fourthsubstance SB4 and a fifth substance SB5 are placed. For example, thepatch PA may provide a predetermined environment to the plate PL for thefourth substance SB4 and the fifth substance SB5 to react and form asixth substance SB6. The providing of the environment may be performedby the patch PA coming into contact with the plate PL so that a waterfilm WF is formed in the vicinity of a contact region and the fourthsubstance SB4 and the fifth substance SB5 are captured in the water filmWF.

3. Application of Patch

The patch PA according to the present application may be implemented toperform various functions by suitably applying the above-describedfunctions of the patch PA.

The technical spirit of the present application will be described belowby disclosing some embodiments. However, the technical scope to whichfunctions of the patch PA disclosed by the present application areapplied may be interpreted in a broad sense within the scope that may beeasily derived by those of ordinary skill in the art, and the scope ofthe present application should not be interpreted as being limited bythe embodiments disclosed herein.

3.1. In-Patch

The patch PA may provide a reaction region for a substance. In otherwords, a reaction of a substance may occur in at least a portion of aspatial region affected by the patch PA. In this case, the reaction of asubstance may be a reaction between liquid substances SB captured in thepatch PA and/or a reaction between the captured liquid substance SB anda substance provided from the outside of the patch PA. The providing ofa reaction region for a substance may activate or promote a reaction ofa substance.

In this case, the liquid substance SB captured in the patch PA mayinclude at least one of a substance added upon manufacturing the patchPA, a substance additive into the patch PA after the manufacturing ofthe patch PA and contained in the patch PA, and a substance temporarilycaptured in the patch PA. In other words, regardless of a form in whicha substance is captured in the patch PA, any substance captured in thepatch PA at a time point at which a reaction in the patch PA isactivated may react in the patch PA. Further, a substance injected afterthe manufacturing of the patch PA may also act as a reaction initiator.

The providing of a reaction region for a reaction related to the liquidsubstance SB captured in the patch PA may be a concept subordinate, interms of embodiment, to the above-described Section 2.1.3 (that is,providing of reaction space). Alternatively, the providing of a reactionregion for a reaction related to the liquid substance SB captured in thepatch PA may consist of multiple concepts that perform combinedfunctions of the above-described Section 2.1.3 and Section 2.2.4.2 (thatis, absorption). The providing of a reaction region for a reactionrelated to the liquid substance SB captured in the patch PA is notlimited thereto and may be implemented in the form in which two or morefunctions are combined.

3.1.1 First Embodiment

Hereinafter, description will be given by assuming that the function ofabsorption into the patch PA and the function of providing of a reactionspace (hereinafter referred to as “providing function”) are performed bya single patch PA. In this case, the absorption function and theproviding function may be simultaneously-performed functions, functionsperformed at different time points, or functions sequentially performedto perform another function. The patch PA further including otherfunctions in addition to the absorption and providing functions may alsobe considered as belonging to the present embodiment.

As described above, the patch PA may perform a function of capturing asubstance, and the substance may have fluidity even when the substanceis captured. When some components of the liquid substance SB arenon-uniformly distributed, the non-uniform components may be diffused.Even when components of the liquid substance SB are uniformlydistributed, the liquid substance SB may have a predetermined level ofmobility due to irregular motion of particles. In this case, a reactionbetween substances, for example, specific binding between substances,may occur inside the patch PA.

For example, in the patch PA, in addition to a reaction between capturedsubstances, a reaction in a form in which a substance having fluiditythat is newly captured in the patch PA and the substance that has beencaptured in the patch PA bind specifically to each other may also bepossible.

The reaction between the substance having fluidity and the substancethat has been captured in the patch PA may also occur after thesubstance patch being separated from a space that has been provided. Forexample, after the patch PA absorbs the substance having fluidity froman arbitrary space, the patch PA may be separated from the arbitraryspace, and a reaction between the absorbed substance and the substancethat has been captured in the patch PA may occur in the patch PA.

In addition, the patch PA may allow a reaction of a substance capturedtherein to occur by performing the absorption function with respect to asubstance having fluidity. In other words, the absorption of thesubstance having fluidity by the patch PA may act as a trigger for areaction between the absorbed substance and the substance that has beencaptured in the patch PA. The reaction may occur inside a space definedby the patch PA.

A composition of the liquid substance SB captured in the patch PA may bechanged due to the reaction occurring inside the patch PA. When,particularly, a substance captured inside the patch PA is a compound, achemical composition thereof may be changed before and after a reaction.Alternatively, a composition distribution of a substance may be changedin accordance with a position of the substance in the patch PA. Forexample, this may be due to diffusion or particles having an attractiveforce specific to another substance.

When the composition of the liquid substance SB is changed due to areaction inside the patch PA, a portion of the substance may be absorbedinto the patch PA due to a concentration difference between the patch PAand a substance outside the patch PA (when a substance in contact withthe patch PA is present, the corresponding substance), or the substancemay be released from the patch PA to the substance outside the patch PA.

3.1.2 Second Embodiment

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the containing function of the patchPA and the function of providing of a reaction space for a substance areperformed together for at least a predetermined amount of time will bedescribed. More specifically, the patch PA may perform a function ofproviding a space for at least a portion of the liquid substance SBcontained in the patch PA to react.

The patch PA may contain a substance and provide a reaction space forthe contained substance. In this case, the reaction space provided bythe patch PA may be the micro-cavities formed by the mesh structuralbody NS of the patch PA or a surface region of the patch PA.Particularly, when a substance contained in the patch PA and a substanceapplied on a surface of the patch PA react, the reaction space may bethe surface region of the patch PA.

The reaction space provided by the patch PA may serve to provide aspecific environmental condition. While a reaction occurs in the liquidsubstance SB placed in the patch PA, an environmental condition of thereaction may be adjusted by the patch PA. For example, the patch PA mayserve as a buffer solution.

By containing a substance through a mesh structure, the patch PA doesnot require a container, separately. When the reaction space of thepatch PA is a surface of the patch PA, a reaction may be easily observedthrough the surface of the patch PA. For this, the shape of the patch PAmay be deformed into a shape that facilitates the observation.

The liquid substance SB contained in the patch PA may be denaturalizedor react with a different type of substance. The composition of theliquid substance SB contained in the patch PA may be changed with time.

The reaction may refer to a chemical reaction in which a chemicalformula is changed, a physical state change, or a biological reaction.In this case, the liquid substance SB contained in the patch PA may be asubstance formed of a single component or a mixture including aplurality of components.

3.2 Providing of Movement Path (Channeling)

Hereinafter, the patch PA that performs a function of providing asubstance movement path will be described. More specifically, asdescribed above, the patch PA may capture, absorb, release, and/orcontain a substance having fluidity. Various embodiments of the patch PAthat performs the function of providing a substance movement path may beimplemented by each of the above-described functions of the patch PA ora combination thereof. However, a few embodiments will be disclosed fora better understanding.

3.2.1 Third Embodiment

The patch PA may be implemented to perform functions described inSection 2.2.4.1 (that is, the section related to delivery) and Section2.2.4.2 (that is, the section related to absorption) among theabove-described functions of the patch PA. In this case, the absorptionfunction and the delivery function may be provided together orsequentially provided.

The patch PA may perform the absorption and delivery functions togetherto provide a substance movement path. Particularly, the patch PA mayabsorb an external substance and provide the absorbed external substanceto an external region, thereby providing a movement path to the externalsubstance.

The providing of the movement path of the external substance by thepatch PA may be performed by absorbing the external substance andreleasing the external substance. More specifically, the patch PA maycome into contact with the external substance, absorb the externalsubstance, come into contact with the external region, and deliver theexternal substance to the external region. In this case, the capturingof the external substance and the delivery of the captured externalsubstance to the external region by the patch PA may be performedthrough a process similar to those of the above-described absorption anddelivery.

The external substance absorbed into the patch PA and provided may be ina liquid phase or a solid phase.

In this way, the patch PA may allow a portion of the external substanceto be provided to another external substance. The external substance andthe other external substance may simultaneously come into contact withthe patch PA. The external substance and the other external substancemay come into contact with the patch PA at different time points.

The external substance and the other external substance may come intocontact with the patch PA at different time points. When the externalsubstances come into contact with the patch PA at different time points,the external substance may come into contact with the patch PA first,and after the external substance and the patch PA are separated, thepatch PA and the other external substance may come into contact. In thiscase, the patch PA may temporarily contain a substance captured from theexternal substance.

The patch PA may simultaneously provide a substance movement path andadditionally provide a time delay. The patch PA may perform a functionof suitably adjusting an amount of substance provided to anotherexternal substance and a speed of such providing.

Such a series of processes may be carried out in one direction withrespect to the patch PA. As a specific example, absorption of asubstance may be performed through a surface of the patch PA, anenvironment may be provided in an inner space of the patch PA, and thesubstance may be released through another surface facing the surface.

3.2.2 Fourth Embodiment

The patch PA may perform the absorbing and releasing of a substanceamong the above-described functions of the patch PA and the providing ofa reaction space for the substance simultaneously. In this case, theabsorption and release of the substance and the providing of thereaction space may be performed simultaneously or sequentially.

According to an embodiment, in performing the processes of absorbing andreleasing an external substance, the patch PA may provide a reactionspace to the absorbed external substance for at least a predeterminedamount of time. The patch PA may provide a specific environment for atleast some time to the liquid substance SB captured in the patch PA,including the absorbed external substance.

The liquid substance SB that has been captured in the patch PA and theexternal substance captured in the patch PA may react inside the patchPA. The external substance absorbed into the patch PA may be affected byan environment provided by the patch PA. The substance released from thepatch PA may include at least a portion of a substance generated throughthe reaction. The external substance may be released from the patch PAafter the composition, characteristics, and the like of the externalsubstance are changed.

The absorbed substance may be released from the patch PA. The externalsubstance being absorbed into the patch PA and being released from thepatch PA may be understood as the external substance passing through thepatch PA. The external substance that has passed through the patch PAmay lose integrity due to a reaction inside the patch PA or an influenceof an environment provided by the patch PA.

The above-described processes of absorption of an external substance,reaction of a substance, and providing of the substance may be carriedout in one direction. In other words, the absorption of a substance maybe performed at one position of the patch PA, the providing of anenvironment may be performed at another position of the patch PA, andthe release of the substance may be performed at yet another position ofthe patch PA.

FIGS. 26 to 28 illustrate providing of a substance movement path betweentwo plates PL as an embodiment of the patch PA according to the presentapplication. According to FIGS. 26 to 28, the patch PA may provide asubstance movement path between a plate PL1 on which a seventh substanceSB7 is applied and a plate PL2 on which an eighth substance SB8 isapplied. As a specific example, when the seventh substance SB7 iscapable of binding to the eighth substance, and the eighth substance isfixed to the plate PL2, the patch PA may come into contact with theplates PL1 and PL2 so that the seventh substance SB7 is moved throughthe patch PA and bound to the eighth substance SB8. The seventhsubstance SB7 and the eighth substance SB8 may be connected to the patchPA through a water film WF formed by the patch PA coming into contactwith the plates PL1 and PL2.

FIGS. 29 and 30 illustrate providing of a substance movement pathbetween two patches as an embodiment of the patch PA according to thepresent application. According to FIGS. 29 and 30, a patch PA6configured to provide the movement path may be in contact with a patchPA5 configured to contain a substance to be moved, and a patch PA7configured to receive the substance to be moved. The patch PA6configured to provide the movement path may come into contact with thepatch PA5 configured to contain the substance to be moved and the patchPA7 configured to receive the substance to be moved, and the substanceto be moved may be moved to the patch PA7 configured to receive thesubstance to be moved. The movement of the substance between the patchesmay be performed by a water film WF formed in the vicinity of a contactregion between the patches.

FIGS. 31 and 32 illustrate providing of a substance movement pathbetween two patches as an embodiment of the patch according to thepresent application. According to FIGS. 29 and 30, a patch PA9configured to provide the movement path may be in contact with a patchPA8 configured to contain a ninth substance SB9 and a patch PA10configured to receive a substance. The patch PA9 providing the movementpath may come into contact with the patch PA8 configured to contain theninth substance SB9 to absorb the ninth substance SB9. The absorbedninth substance SB9 may react with a tenth substance SB10 contained inthe patch PA9, which is configured to provide the movement path, andgenerate an eleventh substance. An eleventh substance SB11 may beprovided from the patch PA9 configured to provide the movement path tothe patch PA10 configured to receive the substance. The movement of asubstance between the patches PA may be performed through a water filmWF formed in the vicinity of a contact region between the patches PA.

3.3 Multi-Patch

A patch PA may be solely used, or a plurality of patches PA may be usedtogether. In this case, the plurality of patches PA being able to beused together includes a case in which the plurality of patches PA aresequentially used as well as a case in which the plurality of patches PAare used simultaneously.

When the plurality of patches PA are used simultaneously, the patches PAmay perform different functions. Although each patch PA of the pluralityof patches PA may contain the same substance, the plurality of patchesPA may also contain different substances.

When the plurality of patches PA are used simultaneously, the patches PAmay not come into contact with each other such that substance movementdoes not occur between the patches PA, or a desired function may beperformed in a state in which substances contained in the patches PA areexchangeable.

Although the plurality of patches PA used together may be manufacturedin shapes similar to each other or in the same size, the plurality ofpatches PA may be used together even when the plurality of patches PAhave different shapes. Each patch PA constituting the plurality ofpatches PA may be manufactured such that densities of the meshstructural bodies NS are different or components constituting the meshstructural bodies NS are different.

3.3.1 Contact with Plurality of Patches

When a plurality of patches PA are used, the plurality of patches PA maycome into contact with a single target region TA. The plurality ofpatches PA may come into contact with the single target region TA andperform a desired function.

When a plurality of target regions TA are present, the plurality ofpatches PA may come into contact with different target regions TA. Whenthe plurality of target regions TA are present, the plurality of patchesPA may respectively come into contact with corresponding target regionsTA and perform a desired function.

The plurality of patches PA may come into contact with a substanceapplied on the target region TA. In this case, the substance applied onthe target region TA may be fixed or have fluidity.

The desired function may be a function of providing or absorbing thesubstance. However, each patch PA does not necessarily provide the samesubstance or absorb the same substance, and the patches PA may providedifferent substances to the target region TA or absorb differentcomponents from a substance placed in the target region TA.

The desired function may be different for each patch PA constituting theplurality of patches PA. For example, one patch PA may perform thefunction of providing a substance to the target region TA, and anotherpatch PA may perform the function of absorbing the substance from thetarget region TA.

The plurality of patches PA may include different substances, and thedifferent substances may be provided to a single target region TA andused to induce a desired reaction. When a plurality of components of asubstance is required for the desired reaction to occur, the pluralityof components may be contained in a plurality of patches PA respectivelyand provided to the target region TA. Such use of the plurality ofpatches PA may be particularly useful when properties of substancesrequired for a desired reaction are lost or altered when the substancesrequired for the reaction being mixed for reasons such as beingcontained in a single patch PA.

According to an embodiment, when the plurality of patches PA includesubstances formed of different components, and the substances formed ofdifferent components have different specific binding relationships, thesubstances formed of different components may be provided to the targetregion TA. The plurality of patches PA may be used to detect a pluralityof specific bindings from the substances applied on the target regionTA, by providing the substances including different components.

According to another embodiment, the plurality of patches PA may includesubstances formed of the same component, but each patch PA may have adifferent concentration with respect to the substance formed of the samecomponent. The plurality of patches PA including the substances formedof the same component may come into contact with the target region TAand be used to determine an influence in accordance with a concentrationof the substance included in the plurality of patches PA.

When the plurality of patches PA are used as described above, thepatches PA may be grouped into more efficient forms and used. In otherwords, the configuration of the plurality of patches PA being used maybe changed every time the plurality of patches PA are used. Theplurality of patches PA may be manufactured in the form of a cartridgeand used. In this case, the form of each patch PA being used may besuitably standardized and manufactured.

The plurality of patches PA in the form of a cartridge may be suitablewhen patches PA configured to contain a plurality of types of substancesare manufactured to be used by being chosen as necessary.

Particularly, when attempting to detect a specific reaction of eachsubstance from the target region TA using a plurality of types ofsubstances, a combination of specific reactions to be detected may bechanged every time the detection is performed.

FIG. 33 illustrates a case in which the plurality of patches PA are usedtogether as an embodiment of the patch PA according to the presentapplication. According to FIG. 33, the plurality of patches PA accordingto an embodiment of the present application may simultaneously come intocontact with a target region TA placed on a plate PL. The patches PAconstituting the plurality of patches PA may have a standardized form.The plurality of patches PA may include a first patch and a secondpatch, and a substance contained in the first patch may be differentfrom a substance contained in the second patch.

FIG. 34 illustrates a case in which the plurality of patches PA are usedand the plate PL includes a plurality of target regions TA. According toFIG. 34, the plurality of patches PA according to an embodiment of thepresent application may simultaneously come into contact with theplurality of target regions TA placed on the plate PL. The plurality ofpatches PA may include a first patch PA and a second patch PA, theplurality of target regions TA may include a first target region and asecond target region, and the first patch may come into contact with thefirst target region and the second patch may come into contact with thesecond target region.

3.3.2 Fifth Embodiment

The plurality of patches PA may perform a plurality of functions. Asdescribed above, the patches PA may simultaneously perform a pluralityof functions, and the patches PA may also simultaneously performdifferent functions. However, embodiments are not limited to the above,and the functions may also be combined and performed in the plurality ofpatches PA.

First, in the case in which the patches PA simultaneously perform theplurality of functions, the patches PA may perform both containing andrelease of a substance. For example, the patches PA may containdifferent substances and release substances contained in the targetregions TA. In this case, the contained substances may be simultaneouslyor sequentially released.

Next, in the case in which the patches PA simultaneously performdifferent functions, the patches PA may separately perform containingand release of a substance. In this case, only some of the patches PAmay come into contact with a target region TA and release a substance tothe target region TA.

3.3.3 Sixth Embodiment

When a plurality of patches PA are used, as described above, theplurality of patches PA may perform a plurality of functions. First, thepatches PA may simultaneously perform containing, releasing, andabsorbing of substances. Alternatively, the patches PA may alsoseparately perform the containing, releasing, and absorbing of thesubstances. However, embodiments are not limited thereto, and thefunctions may also be combined and performed in the plurality of patchesPA.

For example, at least some of the plurality of patches PA may contain asubstance and release the contained substance to the target region TA.In this case, at least a remainder of the plurality of patches PA mayabsorb a substance from the target region TA. Some of the plurality ofpatches PA may release a substance that binds specifically to asubstance placed in the target region TA. In this case, specific bindingmay be detected by absorption of a substance that has not formedspecific binding from the substance placed in the target region TA usinganother patch PA.

3.3.4 Seventh Embodiment

When a plurality of patches PA are used, the patches PA maysimultaneously perform containing and release of a substance andproviding of an environment. Alternatively, the patches PA mayseparately perform the containing and release of a substance andproviding of an environment. However, embodiments are not limitedthereto, and the functions may also be performed in combination in theplurality of patches PA.

For example, a patch PA among the plurality of patches PA may release asubstance contained therein to the target region TA. In this case,another patch PA may provide an environment to the target region TA.Here, the providing of an environment may be implemented in the form inwhich an environmental condition of a substance contained in the otherpatch PA is provided to the target region TA. More specifically, areacting substance may be provided to the target region TA by the patchPA, and the other patch PA may come into contact with the target regionTA and provide a buffering environment.

As another example, the plurality of patches PA may be in contact witheach other. In this case, at least one patch PA may contain a substanceand release the substance contained therein to another patch PAconfigured to provide an environment. In the present embodiment, thepatch PA configured to provide an environment may release a substance,come into contact with at least one other patch PA that is not incontact with the patch PA configured to provide an environment, andabsorb a substance from the patch PA.

4. Culture

4.1 Culturing Patch

The patch PA of the present application may be used in culturing anobject to be cultured.

The object to be cultured may include microorganisms such as bacteriaand cells separated from human beings or animals. Alternatively, theobject to be cultured may include laboratory cells, primary culturedcells, tissues, organs, and the like.

The object to be cultured is not limited to the above-listed examplesand may be any biological substance capable of growing by receiving arequired nutrient component from a culturing patch of the presentapplication which will be described below.

However, for convenience of description, description will be given belowby assuming that object to be cultured is bacteria. However, it shouldbe noted that the scope of the present disclosure is not limitedthereby.

Generally, bacterial culture is performed to process staining ordiagnostic tests such as a drug test on bacteria present in a sample SAcollected from a patient. Since an amount of bacteria present in thesample may not be sufficient to perform a diagnostic test, the amount ofbacteria is increased through bacterial culture.

A culturing patch PA may contain a required nutrient component requiredfor culture of bacteria. The required nutrient component may be properlychanged in accordance with a type of an object to be cultured. Forexample, when it is desired to culture specific bacteria, the requirednutrient component may be formed of components required for culturingthe specific bacteria. As another example, when it is desired to culturenonspecific bacteria, various required nutrient components may becontained in the patch PA.

In addition to the required nutrient component, the culturing patch PAmay contain a buffer solution. The buffer solution may be a solutionthat satisfies an environmental condition required for growth of theculture. For example, the buffer solution may adjust acidity, an osmoticpressure, or the like.

To sum up, the culturing patch PA may be interpreted as containingculture media.

4.2 Culturing Method

A culturing method using the above-described culturing patch PA will bedescribed below.

In the present application, a culturing method uses a culturing patch PAand a plate PL. The plate PL may be a petri dish that is conventionallyused in organism culture, a slide glass, or the like.

It will be assumed that object to be cultured is cultured on a slideglass in the description below and the drawings. However, such anassumption is merely for convenience of description, and the plate PLfor culturing is not limited to a slide glass.

FIG. 35 is a flowchart related to an embodiment of a culturing methodaccording to the present application.

Referring to FIG. 35, an embodiment of a culturing method according tothe present application may include placing object to be cultured in areaction region (S200) and providing a required nutrient component tothe reaction region by using a culturing patch PA (S300).

4.2.1 Preparation of Object to be Cultured

Preparation of an object to be cultured will be described.

Object to be cultured, i.e., bacteria BAC, may be prepared on a platePL.

The plate PL may refer to a general slide glass or a solid plate such asa plate manufactured with polystyrene, polypropylene or the like. A formof a bottom or transparency of the plate PL may be different inaccordance with a detection method. The plate PL may include a reactionregion which comes into contact with the patch PA or in which a desiredreaction may occur.

FIG. 36 is a view illustrating application of an object to be culturedaccording to the present application.

Bacteria BAC may be applied on a reaction region of a plate PL (S200).The application may be performed by various methods. According to anexample, the application of the bacteria BAC may be performed using anapplicator such as a swab. Specifically, an operator may collectbacteria BAC from a testee or the like by using an applicator and rubthe applicator on a reaction region of a plate PL to place the collectedbacteria BAC on the plate PL. Of course, the collection and applicationof an object to be cultured such as bacteria are not necessarily limitedto the above-described example, and an object to be cultured may beapplied on the reaction region on the plate PL through variousconventional methods generally used for collection and application ofbacteria or cells.

Instead of culturing cells or bacteria released from a biologicaltissue, culturing tissue is also possible. When a tissue is cultured,for preparation of an object to be cultured, a section of tissue in theform of a thin film may be collected from the tissue, and then thesection of tissue may be placed in a reaction region on the plate PL.

4.2.2 Culture of an Object to be Cultured

A required nutrient component may be provided to a reaction region byusing a culturing patch PA (S300).

When an object to be cultured is applied on the reaction region, theculturing patch PA may provide the required nutrient component to thereaction region, and accordingly, the object to be cultured may grow byreceiving the required nutrient component.

FIG. 37 is a flowchart of the providing of the required nutrientcomponent by using the culturing patch in the embodiment of theculturing method according to the present application.

Referring to FIG. 37, the providing of the required nutrient componentto the reaction region by using the culturing patch PA (S300) mayinclude contacting the culturing patch PA with the reaction region(S310) and separating the culturing patch from the reaction region(S320).

FIG. 38 is an operational view of the culturing method according to FIG.36.

Referring to FIG. 38, the culturing patch PA may be brought into contactwith the reaction region (S310). When the culturing patch PA comes intocontact with the reaction region, a water film WF may be formed betweenthe culturing patch PA and the plate PL. The required nutrient componentcontained in the culturing patch PA may be provided from the culturingpatch PA to the reaction region through the water film WF. The object tobe cultured may grow by receiving the required nutrient componentprovided to the reaction region.

Referring again to FIG. 38, when the growth of the object to be culturedhas been sufficiently performed, the culturing patch PA may be separatedfrom the reaction region (S320). When the culturing patch PA isseparated from the reaction region, the providing of the requirednutrient component from the culturing patch PA to the reaction regionthrough the water film WF is stopped. When the providing of the requirednutrient component is stopped, the growth of the object to be culturedmay be stopped. Therefore, the growth of the objects to be cultured maybe controlled by separating the culturing patch PA from the reactionregion.

The water film WF may be absorbed into the patch PA in a process inwhich the culturing patch PA is separated from the reaction region, andthe required nutrient component present in the water film WF may beabsorbed into the patch PA along with the water film WF.

In the process in which the water film WF is absorbed due to the processin which the culturing patch PA is separated, there is some possibilitythat the objects to be cultured may also be absorbed into the culturingpatch PA or be moved toward a contact surface between the culturingpatch PA and the reaction region. The object to be cultured may not beabsorbed into the culturing patch PA in accordance with variouscharacteristics of the object to be cultured such as the type or sizethereof. To prevent the object to be cultured from being absorbed intothe culturing patch PA in the process in which the culturing patch PA isseparated, the object to be cultured may be fixated on the plate PLbefore the culturing patch PA comes into contact therewith.

The fixation may be performed using various fixing agents. Any substancecapable of fixing the object to be cultured on the plate PL withoutinterfering with the growth of the object to be cultured or killing theobject to be cultured may be selected as the fixation agent.

The fixation agent in the form of a solution may be sprayed onto thereaction region on the plate PL. Alternatively, in the presentapplication, the object to be cultured may be fixed on the plate PL bycontacting a fixation patch PA containing a fixation agent with thereaction region and separating the fixation patch PA therefrom so thatthe fixation agent is provided to the reaction region before theculturing patch PA is brought into contact with the reaction region.

When a hydrophobic substance such as an alcohol including ethanol ormethanol and formaldehyde is used as a fixation solution, the patch PAcontaining the fixation solution may be prepared to have a hydrophobicproperty. Materials of the hydrophobic patch PA include apolydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) gel, a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) gel, asilicone gel, or the like.

Alternatively, to fix the object to be cultured, a solid substance whichis formed by solidifying a fixation agent may also be used instead ofthe fixation patch PA. Examples of the solid substance include asolidified-methanol or the like.

Although it has been described above that the required nutrientcomponent provided to the reaction region is re-absorbed into the patchPA in the process in which the patch PA is separated, some of therequired nutrient components provided to the reaction region may stay inthe reaction region without being re-absorbed into the culturing patchPA.

To completely remove the required nutrient component, the reactionregion may be washed after the separation of the culturing patch PA(S320).

The washing may be performed by spraying a washing solution onto thereaction region.

Alternatively, the washing may also be performed using a patch PA thatcontains a washing solution, that is, a washing patch PA. For example,after separating the culturing patch PA, the washing patch PA may bebrought into contact with the reaction region and separated therefrom.The washing patch PA may absorb and remove impurities or remainingrequired nutrient components on the plate PL. The washing solution usedherein may include a tris buffered saline (TBS) or phosphate bufferedsaline (PBS) with Tween 20.

Conventionally, a method in which an object to be cultured float in aculture solution or a culture fluid in a liquid phase is provided to theobject to be cultured applied on a wall of a petri dish or a method inwhich an object to be cultured is cultured on a culture medium such asagar has been used

In comparison to such conventional methods, in the above-describedculturing method, an object to be cultured may be cultured using a patchPA while the object to be cultured is applied on a plate PL.

In the method in which the liquid-phase culture fluid is used from amongthe conventional culturing methods, since the object to be culturedfloat in the liquid, it is difficult to two-dimensionally observe theobject to be cultured. Also, even in the method in which the agar mediumis used, observing the object to be cultured through visual inspectionmay be interfered by the agar medium.

In contrast, according to the present method, since the object to becultured does not move freely on the plate PL but growstwo-dimensionally there is an advantage in that it is easy to determinea degree of growth of the object to be cultured.

Also, according to the present method, since a smaller amount ofrequired nutrient component, in comparison to conventional methods, maybe efficiently utilized, there is an advantage in that an amount ofrequired nutrient component being wasted can be reduced.

In addition, according to the present method, the required nutrientcomponent may be provided as the patch PA comes into contact with thereaction region, and the providing of the required nutrient componentmay be stopped as the patch PA is separated from the reaction region.Particularly, as the required nutrient component that has already beenprovided to the reaction region is re-absorbed into the patch PA in theprocess in which the patch PA is separated, the interruption ofproviding of the required nutrient component may be preciselycontrolled. Accordingly, there is an advantage in that a degree ofgrowth of the object to be cultured can be more precisely controlled incomparison to conventional methods. Such an advantage may be morepronounced due to the washing process using the washing patch PA.

It has been described above that the culturing method is performed usinga single patch PA on a single plate PL. However, instead, at least oneof the plate PL and the patch PA may be plural.

For example, an object to be cultured may be applied on each of aplurality of plates PL, and a culturing patch PA may be brought intocontact with a reaction region on each plate PL for culturing the objectto be cultured.

The types, concentrations, or the like of required nutrient componentscontained in each culturing patch PA may be different. Different typesof required nutrient components or required nutrient components havingdifferent concentrations may be provided to the same object to becultured on each plate PL, and culturing may be simultaneouslyperformed. In this way, an optimal type or concentration of a requirednutrient component may be determined regarding specific object to becultured.

Also, after applying different types of an object to be cultured on eachplate PL, the object to be cultured may be cultured using culturingpatches PA that contain required nutrient components having the sameconcentration and components. Alternatively, different types of anobject to be cultured may be applied on each plate PL, and culturingpatches PA to be used may also contain different types of requirednutrient components or required nutrient components having differentconcentrations.

In the culturing method of the present application, since culturing ispossible even in a state in which only a very small amount of sample isapplied on a slide glass, an overall experiment time may be shortened bysimultaneously performing various types of culture.

5. Culture Test.

A culture test method according to an embodiment of the presentapplication will be described below.

The culture test method according to the present application refers totesting a degree of growth of an object to be cultured.

For example, when the type of an object to be cultured is known, aculture test may be utilized to determine an extent to which the objectto be cultured grow with respect to various required nutrientcomponents. Conversely, when the type of an object to be cultured isunknown, the culture test may be used, in a reverse manner, to determinethe type of an object to be cultured after applying a specific requirednutrient component to the object to be cultured and obtaining a degreeto which the object to be cultured have grown. As another example, theculture test may also be utilized to examine whether an object to becultured have sufficiently grown for staining or observing the object tobe cultured after culturing.

Of course, it should be noted that the culture test method according tothe present application is not necessarily utilized for the purposesmentioned in the above-described examples.

The culture test method according to the present application may be usedto test an object to be cultured which have been cultured using variousculturing methods unmentioned herein or an object to be cultured whichhave been directly collected from a patient or an animal without beingcultured, as well as a degree of growth of an object to be culturedwhich have been cultured with the above-described culturing method usingthe culturing patch PA.

The culture test may be performed by acquiring an image of an object tobe cultured placed in the reaction region on the plate PL and analyzingthe acquired image.

The acquisition of the image may be performed for an object to becultured which have not been additionally processed for the imageacquisition. Alternatively, an object to be cultured may be stained or abiochemical reaction may be induced in the object to be cultured, andthen an image of the object to be cultured may be acquired. For example,a staining patch PA that contains a staining reagent may be brought intocontact with an object to be cultured and separated therefrom to stainthe object to be cultured, and then an image of the stained object to becultured may be acquired. As another example, a patch PA that contains,instead of a staining reagent, an antigen or an antibody whichbiochemically reacts with an object to be cultured or another substancewhich binds specifically to the object to be cultured may be broughtinto contact with the object to be cultured and separated therefrom toinduce a biochemical reaction (for example, color development,fluorescence development, or the like) in the object to be cultured, andthen an image of the object to be cultured may be acquired.

The acquisition of the image may be performed using an optical device.The optical device may be any device capable of acquiring an image witha magnification suitable for detecting an object to be cultured such ascells or bacteria placed in the reaction region. For example, theoptical device may include an optical sensor formed of a charge-coupleddevice (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS), a tubeconfigured to provide an optical path, a lens configured to adjust amagnification or focal length, and a memory configured to save an imageacquired by the CCD or CMOS.

FIGS. 39 to 41 are views related to acquisition of an image of an objectto be cultured according to an embodiment of the present application.

Referring to FIGS. 39 to 41, an optical device OD may directly acquirean image of an object to be cultured applied on a plate PL. The opticaldevice OD may receive light that has been irradiated from a light sourceLS and has transmitted through the plate PL on which the object to becultured is applied and acquire an image of the object to be cultured.

For example, referring to FIGS. 39 and 40, the optical device OD mayacquire an image of a region on which the object to be cultured isapplied while the culturing patch PA is separated from the plate PL. Theplate PL being prepared with a material through which light output fromthe light source may transmit easily as possible, may be preferable.Also, the light source may output white light or output a wavelength ina specific wavelength band.

Referring again to FIG. 39, the optical device OD may be disposed at asurface on which an object to be cultured is applied (hereinafterreferred to as “front surface”) of a slide glass, and the light sourceLS may be disposed at a surface opposite the front surface of the slideglass, i.e., a rear surface side of the slide glass. Due to sucharrangement, the optical device OD may receive light that has beenirradiated from the rear surface side of the slide glass by the lightsource LS and has passed through the slide glass and acquire an image ofthe object to be cultured.

Referring again to FIG. 40, the optical device OD may be disposed at therear surface side of the slide glass, and the light source LS may bedisposed at the front surface side of the slide glass. Due to sucharrangement, the optical device OD may receive light that has beenirradiated from the front surface side of the slide glass by the lightsource LS and has passed through the slide glass and acquire an image ofthe object to be cultured.

As another example, referring to FIG. 41, the optical device OD mayacquire an image of a region on which an object to be cultured isapplied while the culturing patch PA is in contact with the plate PL.

Referring again to FIG. 41, the optical device OD may be disposed at therear surface side of the slide glass, and the light source LS may bedisposed at the front surface side of the slide glass. Due to sucharrangement, the optical device OD may receive light that has beenirradiated from the front surface side of the slide glass by the lightsource LS and has passed through the slide glass and acquire an image ofthe object to be cultured.

When an image is acquired while the patch PA is in contact with theplate PL, the optical device OD may be disposed at the front surfaceside of the slide glass, and the light source LS may be disposed at therear surface side of the slide glass. However, when the optical deviceOD is disposed at the front surface side, since the optical device ODhas to acquire an image via the patch PA, it may be difficult to obtaina clear image due to reasons such as difficulty in focusing the opticaldevice OD.

Therefore, when the image is acquired while the patch PA is in contactwith the plate PL, it may be preferable that the optical device OD bedisposed at the rear surface side of the plate PL. The light source LSbeing disposed at the front surface side of the plate PL such that lightis applied to the plate PL via the patch PA may rather have an advantagein that luminance is made uniform due to the light scattering ordiffusion phenomenon that occurs in the patch PA.

Also, when the optical device OD is disposed at the front surface sideof the plate PL to receive light that transmits through the patch PA, itmay be important to finely or uniformly control a thickness of the patchPA.

When an image is acquired while the patch PA is in contact with theplate PL, the patch PA may also serve as a kind of an optical filter.

A measurement of a degree of growth of an object to be culturedaccording to the culture test may be performed by acquiring numericalinformation or morphological information of various object to becultured from acquired images.

For example, the image may be provided to an operator through a monitorof a computer or medical equipment or the like. The operator maydetermine the number, size, morphology, and the like of cells, tissues,blood cells, or bacteria from the image and determine a degree of growthof the object to be cultured.

As another example, an electronic device with an image analysis programinstalled therein may acquire an image from an optical device, determinethe number, size, morphology, and the like of cells, tissues, bloodcells, or bacteria from the image, and determine a degree of growth ofthe object to be cultured.

The image analysis program may analyze the acquired image. Specifically,the image analysis program may acquire numerical information andmorphological information of an object to be cultured from the acquiredimage. The numerical information may include the number (count) or sizeof an object to be cultured, and the morphological information mayinclude the size of the object to be cultured, the shape of the objectsto be cultured, or the like.

The image analysis program may also determine a type of an object to becultured or a degree of growth of the object to be cultured on the basisof the numerical information or morphological information.

The above-described image analysis program may also perform theabove-described determination process in accordance with a predeterminedalgorithm or in accordance with an algorithm formed through machinelearning such as deep learning.

5.1 Culture Test Method—First Embodiment

FIG. 42 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a culture test method of thepresent application.

Referring to FIG. 42, a culture test method according to an embodimentof the present application may include placing object to be cultured,which is test object, in a reaction region (S200), contacting aculturing patch PA with the object to be cultured (S310), separating theculturing patch PA from the reaction region (S320), acquiring an imageof the object to be cultured on a plate in as state in which the patchPA is separated from the reaction region (S400′), and determininginformation on growth of the object to be cultured by analyzing theacquired image (S500).

FIG. 43 is an operational view of the embodiment of the culture testmethod of the present application.

Referring to FIG. 43, a culture test may be performed by placing objectto be cultured in a reaction region on a plate PL (S200), bringing thepatch PA into contact with the object to be cultured (S310) to provide arequired nutrient component to the object to be cultured for the objectto be cultured to grow, separating the patch PA from the reaction region(S320), acquiring an image of the object to be cultured by acquiring animage of the reaction region on the plate PL in a state in which thepatch PA is not in contact with the reaction region, and analyzing theacquired image in accordance with the above-described culturing method.The degree of growth of the object to be cultured may be determined onthe basis of the number or size of the object to be cultured inaccordance with analysis of the image (S500).

FIG. 44 is a flowchart of a modified example of the embodiment of theculture test method of the present application.

Referring to FIG. 44, a modified example of the embodiment of theculture test method of the present application may further includeacquiring an initial image related to the object to be cultured placedon the plate PL (S220). The initial image may refer to an image of theobject to be cultured after the object to be cultured is applied on theplate PL and before a component required for growth is provided to theobject to be cultured for the growth of the object to be cultured.

The acquiring of the initial image may be performed at a time pointafter the object to be cultured is applied on the plate PL and beforethe culturing patch PA is brought into contact with the reaction region.Therefore, in the determining of the degree of growth of the object tobe cultured (S500), the initial image contains information related tothe number or size of the object to be cultured before the growth of theobject to be cultured.

The degree of growth of the object to be cultured may be determinedcomparing information related to the object to be cultured obtained byanalyzing the initial image and information related to the object to becultured obtained by analyzing the image obtained in Step S400′.Alternatively, the degree of growth may also be determined by comparingthe initial image and the image acquired in Step S400′ (for example,difference operation or the like).

In Step S500, the degree of growth may be determined by additionallytaking into consideration a culture time, a type of required nutrientcomponent, and an amount of provided required nutrient component. Inaddition, the degree of growth may also be determined by additionallytaking into consideration various external conditions including aculturing temperature or a humidity level.

FIG. 45 is a flowchart of another modified example of the embodiment ofthe culture test method of the present application.

Referring to FIG. 45, in the other modified example of the embodiment ofthe culture test method of the present application, an image related toan object to be cultured placed on the plate PL may be acquired severaltimes. The plurality of images may be images acquired at different timepoints after culture has begun. Accordingly, when determining the degreeof culture, a comparative analysis may be performed on the plurality ofimages acquired at different time points, and the degree of growth ofthe object to be cultured may be determined.

Specifically, the other modified example of the embodiment of theculture test method of the present application may include placing anobject to be cultured, which is test object, in a reaction region(S200), contacting the culturing patch PA with the object to be cultured(S310), separating the culturing patch PA from the reaction region(S320), acquiring images related to the object to be cultured on theplate in a state in which the patch PA is separated from the reactionregion (S400′), and determining information on growth of the object tobe cultured by comparing the plurality of images (S500″). In this case,after Step S400′ ends, the process may return to Step S310, and StepsS310 to S400′ may be repeated several times.

Steps S310 and S320 may be performed repeatedly using a single culturingpatch PA. Alternatively, a plurality of culturing patches PA may beprepared, and Steps S310 and S320 may be performed by replacing thepatches PA. Alternatively, the patch PA may be replaced after Steps S310and S320 are repeated a predetermined number of times.

The acquiring of the images (S400′) may be performed at different timepoints. For example, the acquiring of the images (S400′) may beperformed at predetermined intervals. For example, an image may beacquired every 20 minutes.

The determining of the growth information (S500) may include comparingthe plurality of images acquired in the acquiring of the images (S400′)and a degree of growth of object to be cultured with time may bedetermined. For example, by comparing a first image acquired at a firsttime point and a second image acquired at a second time, a degree ofgrowth of object to be cultured occurred between the first time pointand the second time point may be determined.

That is, the determining of the growth information by comparing images(S500′) may include acquiring a plurality of images, acquiring numericalor morphological information of the object to be cultured from theimages, calculating differences in the numerical or morphologicalinformation of an object to be cultured between the images, acquiringinformation on time points at which the plurality of images have beenacquired, obtaining time differences between the time points at whichthe images have been acquired, and determining, in consideration of thetime differences and the information differences, the degree of growthwith time of the object to be cultured.

Alternatively, the determining of the growth information by comparingimages (S500′) may include acquiring a plurality of images, obtainingdifferences between images according to a difference operation or thelike, acquiring information on time points at which the plurality ofimages have been acquired, calculating time differences between the timepoints at which the images have been acquired, and determining thedegree of growth of the objects to be cultured with time inconsideration of the time differences and the information differences.

It has been described above that Steps S310 to S400′ are repeated andthen Step S500 is performed in the other modified example of theembodiment of the culture test method of the present disclosure.According to the above description, after a desired number of images areacquired, information on growth of an object to be cultured may bedetermined by comparing the acquired images, and. However, instead,Steps S310 to S500′ may be performed repeatedly. At this time, in StepS500, a comparative analysis may be performed on a most recentlyacquired image and an immediately-preceding image to determineinformation on growth of an object to be cultured. Here, by comparing arecent image and an immediately-preceding image in this way, a growthinformation may be periodically acquired in accordance with intervals atwhich Steps S310 to S500′ are repeated. For example, when Steps S310 toS500′ are repeated every 20 minutes, a degree of growth may bedetermined every 20 minutes.

FIG. 46 is an example of an image of an object to be cultured accordingto the present application.

Images shown in FIG. 46 may be an image acquired in Step S400′ which isperformed for an n-th time and an image acquired in Step S400′ which isperformed for an (n+1)th time. Comparing the two images, it can be seenthat bacteria have grown further in the (n+1)th image than in the n-thimage. Here, n may be a natural number that is 1 or greater.

5.2 Culture Test Method—Second Embodiment

FIG. 47 is a flowchart of another embodiment of a culture test method ofthe present application.

Referring to FIG. 47, a culture test method according to the otherembodiment of the present application may include placing an object tobe cultured, which is test object, in a reaction region (S200),contacting a culturing patch PA with the object to be cultured (S310),acquiring an image of the object to be cultured placed on a plate whilethe patch PA is in contact with the reaction region (S400″), anddetermining information on growth of the object to be cultured byanalyzing the image (S500).

It has been described above with reference to the embodiment of theculture test method of the present application shown in FIG. 42 that animage is acquired after the culturing patch PA is separated from thereaction region. However, in the other embodiment of the culture test ofthe present application, an image may be acquired in a state in whichthe culturing patch PA is in contact with the reaction region.

FIG. 48 is a flowchart of acquiring an image in the other embodiment ofthe culture test method according to the present application, and FIG.49 is an operational view of the other embodiment of the culture testmethod of the present application.

Referring to FIG. 48, in the other embodiment of the culture test methodaccording to the present application, the acquiring of the image (S400″)may include irradiating light from a surface on which the culturingpatch PA is placed (that is, front surface) of a plate PL by a lightsource LS (S410″) and receiving the light from a surface opposite thesurface on which the culturing patch PA is placed (that is, rearsurface) of the plate PL by the optical device OD (S420″).

Referring to FIG. 49, in the present embodiment, the culturing patch PAcontinuously remains in contact with the reaction region even during theimage acquisition. Consequently, according to the present embodiment,there is no inconvenience of having to separate the culturing patch PA.Also, according to the present embodiment, since a required nutrientcomponent is provided from the culturing patch PA to the object to becultured even during the image acquisition, there is an advantage inthat the growth of the object to be cultured is not interrupted. Also,since the culturing patch PA is not separated and thus the reactionregion is not exposed to air, there is an advantage in that the reactionregion is not exposed to foreign substances including bacteria outsidethe reaction region.

In this case, it may be preferable that the optical device OD acquire animage of the object to be cultured placed in the reaction region fromthe rear surface of the plate PL for facilitating acquiring the images.

FIG. 50 is a modified example of the other embodiment of the culturetest method of the present application.

Referring to FIG. 50, in the modified example of the other embodiment ofthe culture test method of the present application, an image related tothe object to be cultured placed on the plate PL may be acquired severaltimes. The plurality of images may be images acquired at different timepoints after culture has begun. Accordingly, when determining the degreeof culture, the degree of growth of the object to be cultured may bedetermined by comparing the plurality of images acquired at differenttime points.

Specifically, in the other modified example of the embodiment of theculture test method of the present application, the acquiring of theimage related to the object to be cultured placed on the plate while thepatch PA is in contact with the reaction region (S400″) may be repeated.In this case, the acquiring of the image (S400″) which is repeated maybe performed at different time points. For example, the acquiring of theimage (S400′) may be performed at predetermined intervals. For example,an image may be acquired every 20 minutes. As another example, theacquiring of the image (S400″) may including acquiring a video imagewith time.

In the determining of the growth information (S500), a degree of growthof an object to be cultured with time may be determined by comparing theplurality of images acquired in the acquiring of the image (S400″). Forexample, by comparing a first image acquired at a first time point and asecond image acquired at a second time point, a degree of growth of anobject to be cultured occurred between the first time point and thesecond time point may be determined.

It has been described above with reference to the modified example ofthe other embodiment of the culture test method of the presentdisclosure that Step S400″ is repeated and then Step S500 is performed.However, instead, Steps S400′ to S500′ may be repeated.

Particularly, in the present modified example, since an image may beacquired while the patch PA is in contact with the reaction regionwithout a process of separating the patch PA from the reaction region,there is an advantage in that, in addition to being able to periodicallyacquire images at predetermined intervals, a degree of growth may beanalyzed in real time by acquiring a video or acquiring images in veryshort intervals.

6. Drug Test

A drug test method according to an embodiment of the present applicationwill be described below.

The drug test method according to the present application refers totesting an effect of a drug.

A drug test may be utilized to determine an influence of a drug on anobject to be cultured. For example, a drug test may be performed todetermine an effect of an antibiotic on bacteria or sensitivity ofbacteria to an antibiotic. As another example, a drug test may beutilized to determine an effect of a drug on various cells.

Of course, it should be noted that the drug test method according to thepresent application is not necessarily utilized for the purposesmentioned in the above-described examples.

The drug test method according to the present application may be used totest object to be cultured which have been cultured using variousculturing methods unmentioned herein or an object to be cultured whichhave been directly collected from a patient or an animal without beingcultured, as well as an influence of a drug on an object to be culturedwhich have been cultured with the above-described culturing method usingthe patch PA.

The drug test may be performed by acquiring an image of an object to becultured placed in the reaction region on the plate PL and analyzing theacquired image. The acquisition of the image may be performed similarlyas that in the above-described culture test.

A measurement of an effect of a drug according to the drug test (forexample, a degree of bacterial inhibition or death due to an antibiotic)may be performed by acquiring numerical information or morphologicalinformation of various objects to be cultured from acquired images. Inthis case, the measurement of the effect of a drug may be performedsimilarly as the measurement of a degree of growth of an object to becultured in the above-described culture test method.

6.1 Drug Test Method—First Embodiment

FIG. 51 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a culture test method of thepresent application.

Referring to FIG. 51, a drug test method according to an embodiment ofthe present application may include in a state in which a culturingpatch PA is in contact with a reaction region (S310), absorbing a drugby the culturing patch PA (S600), providing the drug to the reactionregion by the culturing patch PA (S700), separating the culturing patchPA from the reaction region (S320), acquiring an image of an object tobe cultured placed on the plate PL in a state in which the culturingpatch PA is separated from the reaction region (S400′), and testing aninfluence of the drug on the object to be cultured by analyzing theimage (S800).

FIG. 52 is an operational view of the embodiment of the drug test methodof the present application.

Referring to FIG. 52, in the embodiment of the drug test method of thepresent application, a drug test may be performed on an object to becultured which have been cultured in accordance with the above-describedculturing method of the present disclosure. Therefore, in the presentembodiment, the drug test may begin in a state in which the culturingpatch PA is in contact with the reaction region on the plate PL on whichthe object to be cultured is located.

In a state in which the culturing patch PA is in contact with thereaction region (S310), the culturing patch PA may absorb the drug(S600). For example, a drug sheet DS that contains a drug DR may beprovided at an outer surface of the culturing patch PA. The culturingpatch PA may absorb the drug DR from the drug sheet DS into theculturing patch PA.

When the drug is absorbed into the patch PA, the culturing patch PA mayprovide the drug to the reaction region through a water film WF betweenthe plate PL and the patch PA while in contact with the plate PL. Theobject to be cultured placed in the reaction region receive the drugprovided to the reaction region and are affected by the drug. Forexample, when the object to be cultured is bacteria and the drug is anantibiotic, the object to be cultured may be growth-inhibited or killeddue to the antibiotic.

When a sufficient time has elapsed after the providing of the drug, thepatch PA may be separated from the reaction region (S320), and an imageof the reaction region on the plate PL may be acquired (S400′).

When the image is acquired, numerical information and morphologicalinformation of the object to be cultured may be acquired from the image,and on the basis of the acquired information, an influence of the drugon the object to be cultured may be obtained (S800). For example, whenan antibiotic is provided to bacteria, a degree of growth inhibition ofbacteria and a degree of death of bacteria due to the antibiotic may bedetermined on the basis of changes in the size and number of bacteriadue to the antibiotic. For example, when an activity accelerator isprovided to cells, an effect of the accelerator may be determined inconsideration of a degree of growth of the cells or an amount ofsubstance secreted from the cells.

Since the determining of the influence of the drug may be performedsimilarly as the determining of the degree of growth of the object to becultured in the culture test, detailed description thereof will beomitted.

In the present embodiment, for the image acquisition, Steps S310 toS400′ may be repeated. Also, in the present embodiment, the determiningof the effect of the drug may be periodically performed by repeatingSteps S310 to S800. In addition, in the present embodiment, before StepS310 is performed, an initial image may be acquired before the drug isprovided in a state in which the culturing patch PA is spaced apart fromthe plate PL before Step S310 is performed.

When an initial image has been acquired or an image has been acquiredseveral times, comparing the plurality of images each other to determinean influence of the drug with time is also possible. Since thedetermining of the influence of the drug may be performed similarly asthe description given above with respect to the culture test method ofthe present application expect that the type or concentration of thedrug, instead of a required nutrient component, is taken intoconsideration, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

6.2 Drug Test Method—Second Embodiment

FIG. 53 is a flowchart of another embodiment of a drug test method ofthe present application.

Referring to FIG. 53, the drug test method according to the otherembodiment of the present application may include absorbing a drug bythe culturing patch P (S600) in state in which the culturing patch PA isin contact with the reaction region (S310), delivering the drug to thereaction region by the culturing patch PA (S700), acquiring an imagerelated to an object to be cultured placed on the plate PL in state inwhich the culturing patch PA is in contact with the reaction region(S400″), and testing an influence of the drug on the object to becultured by analyzing the image (S800).

FIG. 54 is an operational view of the other embodiment of the drug testmethod of the present application.

Referring to FIG. 54, in the other embodiment of the drug test method ofthe present application, a drug test may be performed on an object to becultured which have been cultured in accordance with the above-describedculturing method of the present application. Consequently, in thepresent embodiment, the drug test may begin in a state in which theculturing patch PA is in contact with the reaction region on the platePL on which the object to be cultured is located.

In a state in which the culturing patch PA is in contact with thereaction region (S310), the culturing patch PA may absorb the drug(S600), and the providing of the drug to the reaction region by theculturing patch PA (S700) may be performed similarly as the descriptiongiven above with respect to the previous embodiment of the drug testmethod of the present disclosure.

When a sufficient time has elapsed after the providing of the drug, animage of the reaction region on the plate PL may be acquired in a statein which the patch PA is in contact with the reaction region, that is,the patch PA is not separated from the reaction region (S400″).

Since differences between acquiring an image in state in which the patchPA is in contact with the plate PL and acquiring an image while thecontact is released have already been described with respect to theculture test method of the present application, detailed descriptionthereof will be omitted.

When the image is acquired, on the basis of the acquired image, aninfluence of the drug may be determined. For example, the influence ofthe drug may be information on growth inhibition or the like. Sincefurther details on the influence of the drug have already been describedwith respect to the previous embodiment of the drug test, detaileddescription thereof will also be omitted.

6.3 Drug Test Method—Third Embodiment

FIG. 55 is a flowchart of yet another embodiment of a drug test methodof the present application.

Referring to FIG. 55, the drug test method according to yet anotherembodiment of the present application may include placing an object tobe cultured in a reaction region (S200), providing a drug to thereaction region by the culturing patch PA (S700), acquiring an image ofthe object to be cultured placed on the plate PL (S400), and testing aninfluence of the drug on the object to be cultured by analyzing theimage (S800).

In the previous embodiments of the drug test method described above, thedrug is provided to the object to be cultured by injecting the drug intothe culturing patch PA through a drug sheet or the like in a state inwhich an object to be cultured is cultured using the culturing patch PAof the present disclosure.

However, in the present application, a drug test is not necessarilyapplied only to an object to be cultured using the culturing patch PA.In Step S200 of the present embodiment, the object to be cultured mayalso be cultured using a culturing method other than that of the presentapplication. Also, although an object to be drug-tested is assumed asthe object to be cultured in the present embodiment, the object to bedrug-tested may also be directly-collected objects instead of the objectto be cultured.

Therefore, the placing of the object to be cultured in the reactionregion (S200) should be broadly interpreted as applying the object to becultured according to the present application or other object to bedrug-tested on the plate PL.

FIG. 56 is an operational view of the yet another embodiment of the drugtest method of the present application.

Referring to FIG. 56, the drug may be provided to the object to bedrug-tested by contacting a patch PA with the reaction region on theplate PL (S700). In this case, the patch PA contains a drug to betested. Such a drug patch PA may be a patch which additionallycontaining a drug to the culturing patch PA used in the culturing methodof the present application. Alternatively, the drug patch PA may be apatch PA which is a different from the culturing patch PA used in theculturing method of the present application and contains a drug.

In addition to the drug, the drug patch PA may also contain a componentrequired for growth required for basic growth of the object to bedrug-tested.

When the drug is provided to the object to be cultured in this way, dueto an influence of the drug, the growth of the object to be cultured maybe inhibited, the object to be cultured may be killed, the object to becultured may actively perform a specific reaction, or the growth of theobject to be cultured may be accelerated.

Then, an image related to the object to be cultured placed on the platePL may be acquired (S400), and an effect of the drug on the object to becultured may be tested by analyzing the image (S800). In this case, inthe present embodiment, Step S400 may be performed identically orsimilarly to Step S400′ of the previous embodiment of the drug testmethod of the present application or Step S400″ of the other previousembodiment. Also, Step S800 of the present embodiment may be performedidentically or similarly to the above-described Step S800.

FIG. 57 is an example of an image of object to be cultured according tothe present application.

Referring to FIG. 57, it can be observed that bacteria gradually die dueto injection of the drug.

In the previously-described drug test method, a drug is provided to theobject to be cultured placed on a single plate PL by using a singlepatch PA, and then an effect of the drug is detected.

However, instead, in the present application, different types of drugsor drugs having different concentrations may be simultaneously tested.For example, a reaction region on the plate PL may be divided, a firstpatch PA may be brought into contact with a region, a second patch PAmay be brought into contact with another region, and then images of theregion and the other region may be acquired to analyze reactions in theregions and compare effects of a drug contained in the first patch PAand a drug contained in the second patch PA. Alternatively, a drug testmay also be performed by simultaneously using a plurality of differentpatches PA on a plurality of plates PL.

Instead, in the present application, drug tests on different objects tobe cultured may also be simultaneously performed. For example, a firstobject to be cultured may be placed on a first plate PL, a second objectto be cultured may be placed on a second plate, drugs may be provided tothe first plate PL and the second plate PL using different patches PA,and then results thereof may be observed. In this case, when the patchesPA are formed of the same components, reaction results of differentobjects to be cultured in response to the same drug may be compared.

7. Test Device

A test device for performing the culturing method, the culture testmethod, and the drug test method according to the present applicationwill be described below.

FIG. 58 illustrates an embodiment of a test device according to thepresent application.

The test device according to the embodiment of the present applicationmay include a plate supporter 200, a patch controller 300, and animaging device 400. The test device according to the present embodimentmay contact a patch, which includes a mesh structural body NS formingmicro-cavities and contains a liquid substance SB in the micro-cavities,with the plate PL or separate the patch therefrom and acquire an image.

The plate supporter 200 may support a plate PL on which a sample SA tobe diagnosed is placed in a reaction region.

The patch controller 300 may control a position of the patch PA relativeto the reaction region so that a component required for growth isprovided to the reaction region by one or more patches PA used in theculturing method or the testing method according to the embodiments ofthe present disclosure described above.

The imaging device 400 may acquire an image of the reaction region byimaging the reaction region.

Specifically, the imaging device 400 may include an image acquisitionmodule. In this case, the image acquisition module may include a cameramodule.

Accordingly, the imaging device 400 may acquire partial images of thereaction region. Also, the imaging device 400 may combine the acquiredpartial images of the reaction region.

The test device may further include a controller 100.

The controller 100 may obtain numerical and morphological information ofan object to be cultured by using an image analysis program, and inaccordance with the extracted information, determine a degree of growthdue to culture and a degree of growth inhibition, a degree of death, orthe like due to injection of a drug.

FIG. 59 illustrates an example of a patch controller in the embodimentof the test device according to the present application.

In a test device 10 according to the embodiment of the presentapplication, the patch controller 300 may include a patch selectionmodule 310 and a contact control module 330.

The patch selection module 310 may select a patch PA to be controlled.The selection of the patch PA to be controlled by the patch selector mayinclude selecting a patch to be brought into contact with the reactionregion among a plurality of patches PA.

The contact control module 330 may control a state of contact between aselected patch PA and the reaction region. The controlling of thecontact state may include controlling a position of the patch PArelative to the reaction region.

The above description is merely illustrative of the technical spirit ofthe present disclosure, and those of ordinary skill in the art to whichthe present disclosure pertains should be able to make variousmodifications and changes within a scope not departing from essentialcharacteristics of the present disclosure. Therefore, theabove-described embodiments of the present disclosure may also beimplemented separately or in combination.

The embodiments disclosed herein are for describing the technical spiritof the present disclosure instead of limiting the same, and the scope ofthe technical spirit of the present disclosure is not limited by suchembodiments. The scope of the present disclosure should be interpretedon the basis of the claims below, and all technical spirits within theequivalent scope should be interpreted as belonging to the scope of thepresent disclosure.

1-22. (canceled)
 23. A culturing patch comprising: component requiredfor growth of an object to be cultured; and a mesh structural bodyprovided in a mesh structure forming micro-cavities in which thecomponent required for growth s are contained that is configured to comeinto contact with a reaction region in which the object to be culturedis placed and provide some of the contained component required forgrowth s to the reaction region.